Opt-in membership is available to businesses that either exist out-with the catchment area of Nairn BID, or whose property’s rateable value lies below the £1000 threshold, but still wish to support the BID and receive most of the benefits that members do. As Nairn BID exists for the improvement of Nairn as a whole then supporting the BID can be a valuable way of saying to your customers that you as a business are contributing to making Nairn a better place.
Opt-in members receive the same benefits as other members, they just don’t have the voting rights that levy area businesses do when it comes to the renewal ballot for the BID. For the five year business plan which outlines the main areas of spending and objectives of Nairn BID, please click here.
They can apply for free stalls at our events and markets, benefit from free marketing and promotion (website listing, social media sharing and member of the month), and attend our meetings, business workshops and networking events.
Nairn BID organises street markets along the High Street several times a year. The BID also runs Taste of Nairn, Wheels of Nairn and the Countdown to Christmas events.
If you think your business would benefit by being part of the BID and you would like to join, please fill in our application form. You can also send us a photograph and listing wording for the VisitNairn website.
Opt-in membership starts from £125 a year. Membership runs for our financial year from 1st October to 30th September. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch – office@nairnconnects.com
Member of the Month
Nairn Hydrotherapy Pool
February 2025
Celebrating its 40th birthday this year is the Nairn Hydrotherapy Pool, which we are delighted to feature as our February Member of the Month. In just one week, this facility welcomes over 500 people, so just imagine how many have accessed this valuable service over its four decades. The centre, located within the grounds of Nairn Town & County Hospital and the healthcare centre, offers a range of services for clients as young as a few weeks old, all the way up to those in their nineties. It is open seven days a week, providing a variety of services for the community.
Its history
The official opening of the Hydro Pool 40 years ago
Nairn Hydrotherapy Pool began with Mr and Mrs McGregor, who were inspired by their son James’ experience at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where hydrotherapy was recommended as a treatment for disabled young patients. At the time, however, there was no such facility in the entire region, so the McGregors decided to take action. They conducted a survey in the Grantown to Nairn areas and identified 44 children in need of this treatment. To bring their vision to life, Mr and Mrs McGregor formed a committee, and the community quickly embraced the idea. Within a year, the £80,000 needed to build the pool was raised, and the facility opened on November 9th, 1985.
Through the years
Our pool has undergone several changes over the years. While it was originally used for hydrotherapy purposes, rising costs have led us to make adjustments to the timetable to fill slots and ensure the pool’s continued operation. The swim school has become an integral part of this, helping to generate the necessary revenue.
As a long-time user of the facility through her swim school business, Kayleigh McDine was quick to embrace these changes. She explained: “I’ve been using the pool for my swim school for three years. It’s a brilliant facility for young children to learn to swim, with a wonderful team and volunteers. When the manager’s position became available, I jumped at the opportunity to take on the role.”
As well as managing the facility, Kayleigh runs a swim school
“It was an interesting position to be in,” she continued, “as I had been a user of the facility, and now I was in the position of manager. In some ways, that made the transition very easy, as I could already see what needed to be done.”
However, as Kayleigh explained, she was able to make a few refurbishments in her first few months: “This is such a valuable facility, but funding is an issue, so we couldn’t give it a complete overhaul. However, we have put down new flooring in the pool area, the pool itself has had a deep clean, and we’ve updated some of the fixtures and fittings.”
Under Kayleigh’s management the pool was given a deep clean
Kayleigh continued: “There is still a lot that we want to achieve, but for now, and with the budgets we are working with, we’ve made great progress.”
Its services
The current services offered at the hydro pool are varied, and not all are water-related. “We are very lucky to have a treatment room,” explained Kayleigh, “and that is something we want to advertise as an area that can be hired out. At the moment, it’s used for physiotherapy assessments, massage, and we also have a private women’s health clinic that rents the space. However, there is plenty of scope in the timetable for it to be used for other activities too. It would lend itself well to other complementary or holistic therapies.”
Kayleigh continued, “We also have plans to repurpose another room, which is slightly bigger, in the hope that we can host classes, such as first aid, and open it up to the community, health visitors, and other services. There is so much potential for this building to become a fantastic well-being centre.”
Also on offer at the pool, we offer a range of services designed to support your health and well-being. Hydrotherapy is a low-impact, highly effective treatment for rehabilitation, pain relief, and improving mobility. The warm water helps reduce strain on joints, making it ideal for those with injuries, arthritis, or limited mobility.
We offer self-led hydrotherapy sessions, water circuits, and physiotherapy, all tailored to your needs. Our comprehensive physiotherapy assessments provide a personalized recovery plan, while our water circuit training combines muscle strengthening with cardiovascular benefits. For expecting mums, our Aqua-Natal sessions focus on gentle exercise and relaxation in the water, followed by a baby swimming class to bond with your little one, led by local NHS midwife Dorothy.
Our hydrotherapy pool is also perfect for families, with private hires available for a fun, stress-free swim. Whether you’re recovering from injury or just looking for a relaxing way to stay active, our services provide a flexible and supportive space for all.
And as if that wasn’t enough as well as Kayleigh’s Swim School, there is another too – Michelle’s Swim Stars which offers lessons and fun in the water for those aged three upwards.
Fundraising
Another new move Kayleigh has made since being appointed is the creation of a fundraising working group, due to rising running and electricity costs. “It’s still a service that’s very much in demand, but it costs a lot to run,” said Kayleigh. “Although we’ve made some minor refurbishments, there is more that we want to do. For example, we want to replace the windows and doors, update the flooring in the reception area, and look into whether some form of renewable energy could work for us. The drains also need attention, but all of this requires extra funding on top of what is needed just to keep the centre operational. We have some plans in the pipeline to help boost our funds.”
Volunteers
Volunteers are key to the success of the hydro pool. We have five regular volunteers who help out throughout the week, and their roles can vary from assisting on poolside to welcoming customers and making cups of tea. “We really would struggle if we didn’t have our volunteers. Much of the time, people become volunteers because they have used and seen the benefits of the service, or have had a family member who has. They really are the life and soul of the pool and support our staff immensely.”
