AN Enniskillen woman who was the first person to use the swimming pool at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum 40 years ago - and is still using it today - has said that the council-owned facility has brought a lot of joy into her life.

Charlotte Hopkins, who was born and bred in Enniskillen, but now lives on Inishmore Island, near Lisbellaw, said she was “brought up on Lough Erne” and has always lived close to the water, so perhaps her long affiliation with the Forum should come as no surprise!

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter this week, Charlotte recalled expecting to find a big queue when she arrived on the morning of May 19, 1976, given the excitement that had been generated locally over the opening of the town’s first indoor pool.

Making it to the new, state-of-the-art facility for 10am, the 28 year old and her young son Donal were surprised to find that they were the first ones there, and headed straight for a swim.

She said that the Forum’s manager, Brendan Burns, came over to them and asked if they would like to have their photograph taken as the first customers to take the plunge – and the duo readily obliged!

Four decades later and Charlotte, now close to 70 years old, is still swimming at least once or twice a week at the local pool.

Describing it as a “lifeline”, she said: “For a lot of people my age, it’s fantastic for health reasons.”

Her enduring passion for the pool is also shared by the younger generations of her family. She revealed that her grandniece, nine-year-old Lara Beckett, was already swimming 25 metres with her.

“Her eyes light up with excitement when we take her to the pool. She loves it,” Charlotte added.

Looking back to her own younger days, the 68-year-old said she learnt to swim at ‘Sandy Bottom’, at the back of Devenish Island.

She said that a lot of people her age had learnt to swim in Lough Erne, but added that the currents and hazardous parts of the water had claimed several lives over the years. Before the opening of the Forum, the Enniskillen woman and her family had used the outdoor pool at the Kent Plastics factory in Derrychara, which is now the site of the local Asda store.

She said: “It was so amazing to get a proper indoor pool, one that we could use all year round. I feel so privileged that we still have it here today.”

Charlotte said she took great pleasure in using the Forum when her health allowed and had made a lot of friends there over the last 40 years.

“The main feature for me is the pool, of course. It’s a great asset for the town and I’m very pleased we have it,” she added.

As part of the Forum’s 40th anniversary celebrations, the lakeside venue is hosting a series of fun-filled activities today (Thursday).

There will be light refreshments and DJs playing music between 4pm and 6pm. A bouncy castle and a variety of children’s characters will be sure to keep the younger ones entertained.

An exhibition in the Forum itself will offer a trip down memory lane for long-time users, like Charlotte.

Scrapbooks filled with photographs and newspaper articles from the last 40 years will also be on display.

The party will continue on throughout the evening, with a ‘Bubble football’ competition due to start at 7.30pm. All the regular five-a-side teams who use the Forum have been invited to take part.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council chairman, Thomas O’Reilly, this week said that the Lakeland Forum had been an “important hub” for leisure and recreation in Enniskillen and the surrounding area for four decades.

“It has a wonderful reputation for the range and quality of facilities and activities which it provides to all age groups and abilities. The dedication of the excellent team working at the Forum ensures that the many thousands of users achieve the maximum enjoyment, benefit and sporting success at the facility. I wish the Forum every success and continued growth into the future,” Mr O’Reilly said.

Over the past four decades, the Council has continually refurbished and upgraded the complex to ensure that it met the changing needs of the local community, with the most recent extensive refurbishment completed in 2010.

During the last five years, the fitness suite has been upgraded, with over 100 pieces of equipment overlooking Lough Erne, while a new 3G all-weather football pitch has also been added.