A much-loved local sculpture known as the Five Swimmers will soon be on display again thanks to a loan agreement with Berkeley Homes for their new Eden Grove development in Staines-upon-Thames.
Created by David Wynne OBE in 1980, the sculpture was originally commissioned for the Elmsleigh Centre and gifted to the people of Spelthorne. It served as a centre piece and was used as a wishing well in the Centre until 1997 when it was removed and later reinstalled behind the Old Town Hall in Memorial Gardens. Unfortunately, the sculpture was damaged during the 2014 floods and vandalised multiple times, leading to its collapse in 2022. It has since been in storage at a cost of £1,000 per year.
The Corporate Policy and Resources Committee considered various possible new homes for the sculpture, including the main square of the Elmsleigh Centre, where it was once located. After looking at all the options, it was agreed that the sculpture be loaned to Berkeley Homes for public display in Eden Grove. This secure location will provide greater protection from vandalism whilst keeping it accessible to the public.
Chair of the Council’s Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, Cllr Joanne Sexton, said:
“We have listened carefully to our residents’ views and concerns and taken every possible step to bring the statue back for public enjoyment. We understood the importance of not leaving the statue in storage and were committed to keeping The Five Swimmers in Staines for all to appreciate. To achieve this, we worked diligently to secure a location that would make this beautiful sculpture visible to the community while minimising the risk of future damage.
We explored several potential sites, with each evaluated carefully. One preferred option was the Elmsleigh Centre, but unfortunately, the high costs of installation there were beyond our budget and not deemed to be good use of public money. Additionally, the only suitable space at Elmsleigh is regularly reserved for exhibitions and seasonal events, making it unavailable for a permanent display. We also considered the new Eclipse Leisure Centre, however, due to the highly challenging energy and thermal performance standards set by the Passivhaus Institute*, installing the statue inside the building would have put at risk the project’s ability to meet these world class standards. It would also have resulted in increased costs and delay which is not good use of public funds.
After thorough consideration, we found that loaning the sculpture to Berkeley for display at the Eden Grove development offered the best combination of visibility, security, and accessibility. This option not only ensures the statue remains accessible to the public but also provides the necessary protection against vandalism, allowing The Five Swimmers to be enjoyed safely for years to come.”
What is Passivhaus?
Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings that aims to reduce the carbon footprintby creating highly insulated and well-ventilated structures. These buildings use very little energy for heating and cooling,achieving occupant comfort through high quality construction and a whole-building approach.
Paul Vallone, Chairman of Berkeley Homes (Central London) Limited, said:
“We are proud to have been selected to provide a new home for this cherished statue as the centrepiece for our courtyard. Created by renowned sculptor David Wynne OBE, who is celebrated for some of England’s most iconic statues, this piece exemplifies his signature focus on movement. It will be placed at the heart of the Eden Grove garden, which will be open for all to enjoy. We are currently working closely with the council to arrange its installation.”
The above is a repost from https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/21981/Five-Swimmers-sculpture-soon-to-be-back-on-display
Why can’t the Five Swimmers return to the Elmsleigh Centre?
“Various options for a new location for the 5 swimmers were considered. This resulted in a detailed evaluation of 4 key sites, all within Staines-upon-Thames. These are set out in Appendix 1. There were no suitable sites on land currently owned by the Council. It also became apparent, should the statue be located within a Council owned site i.e. within established operational buildings such as the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre, the installation and ongoing maintenance costs could be in excess of £90,000, due to the various works and alterations required. The five sculptures which form the statue plus the base have a total weight of 403.5kg. The approximate height is 3.7m and approx. width is 3m.“
The Five Swimmer Sculpture Committee Report (PDF)
Five Swimmers back to its former glory
Independent Spelthorne Group (ISG) 