YOU’VE got to be in it to win it, so they say – now the people of Tenbury have the chance to scoop £500 in their own town lottery.

It is the latest initiative to secure the future of the swimming pool and leisure centre in the town.

It comes a month after the day-to-day running of the facility passed to Freedom Leisure.

A grant of nearly £70,000 a year has been secured for five years from Malvern Hills District Council, but after that the pool and leisure centre will be expected to be self- financing.

The facility is owned on behalf of the town by Tenbury Community Pool, that has set itself the target of raising £25,000 a year.

While the routine running of the pool and leisure centre is the responsibility of Freedom Leisure, Tenbury Community Pool has to fund any major structural works for the pool, which was built in the 1960s. There have been growing concerns in recent years about its long-term future.

Scratch cards can be brought for a £1 and offer the chance to win up to £500, while at the same time contributing to the future of the swimming pool and leisure centre.

“Tenbury Community Pool has seen a number of big changes over the past couple of months, including the appointment of a new sports management company, Freedom Leisure, to run the facility, with a redecoration and provision of new ‘state of the art’ fitness equipment and now the launch of a scratch card lottery to help raise funds,” said Andrew McCallum, a director of Tenbury Community Pool.

“At only £1 for two games, the scratch cards are available initially at Tenbury Spar, Bowketts and Tenbury News with players able to win between £1 and £500 and knowing that through their support they are helping to sustain the pool and facility for future Tenbury generations.”

Under the agreement with Freedom Leisure more than £300,000 is being invested in the swimming pool and leisure centre.

The gym has been transformed with the removal of the old equipment including exercise cycles, treadmills and weight training rigs. This involved the closure if the gym for a short time but it has now re-opened.

An initiative has also been launched to engage with the community to encourage more people to lead a healthy lifestyle.