Staycation lockdown holidays lead to business boom for Horsham firm

Swimming pool firm Compass Pools says it has seen a 600 per cent increase in orders for home pools since the pandemic and uncertainty over summer holidays.

The company - which rose to fame last year after designing a death-defying swimming pool 200 metres above London’s skyline - says its recruitment drive could help people who have been made redundant from other industries hit by the pandemic.

It says it has seen a boom in demand as people prepare to spend the summer in the UK instead of going abroad.

Managing director and pool designer Alex Kemsley said: “The uncertainty over coronavirus means thousands of British holidaymakers have shelved their foreign holiday plans and are opting to stay in the UK instead.

“We’ve seen a sharp rise in enquiries and orders for home swimming pools as people decide to holiday at home rather than head to the airports.

“A home pool can give years and years of pleasure and can also add value to a home so it’s an investment that a growing number of people are choosing to make. We have also had a run of hot weather and that’s helped too.

“The increase in business has enabled us to recruit and grow our team, offering positions to many who had lost their jobs in the travel industry.

“Now we are looking to recruit the UK’s first ever dedicated ‘Staycation Designer’ to help customers plan the perfect pool holiday in the comfort and safety of their own home.”

He added that as well as a staycation designer the firm was also seeking production and installation engineers.

He said: “Staycation designer would suit someone from the travel industry who could help people design the perfect pool space and staycation, and the production engineer role would suit someone with a background in the automotive or motorsport industry, as they’d be helping to manufacture our pool shells.

“To help get the pools in the ground, we also need more installation engineers. This could suit someone from the construction industry.

“Logistically, the lockdown was initially a bit of an issue for us as hotels were closing, making long distance jobs difficult.

“We’re now working round the situation in a safe manner, and pools have started to go in with new practices over the past few weeks.”

He says the cost to build a basic home pool starts from £60,000 and they can be installed in 17 days.

To apply for one of Compass Pools’ vacancies, visit: https://www.compass-pools.co.uk/careers/

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.