The Frank F. Pinkerton Pool

Students outside CAFFE

In 2023, CAFFE opened its teaching pool. It's purpose is to provide at least basic swimming skills to CAFFE students and young people living around CAFFE to help reduce the risk of drownings.

Our Pool

The Frank F. Pinkerton pool was made possible through the generous donations of CAFFE trustee Christine Ayres and Digital Ocean. The aim of the pool is to teach swimming skills to non-swimmers alongside more advanced survival techniques to those already confident in the water.

Students outside CAFFE

The Frank F. Pinkerton Pool


Pool Gallery

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

Students outside CAFFE

In Bangladesh, where large areas of land remain submerged due to yearly floods, the absence of awareness and swimming skills can prove to be life-threatening. Children in rural areas who grow up near bodies of water are also exposed to the risk of drowning daily.

Each year, over 14,000 children in Bangladesh die due to drowning.

UNICEF (July 2022)

Our Programme

Our mission is to teach every CAFFE student basic swimming skills so that they will be able to survive if they ever find themselves in water. We focus on building confidence in the water, breathing techniques, swimming on the front, floating on the back and general water safety awareness.

Students outside CAFFE

Swimming Class

Students outside CAFFE

Frank F. Pinkerton

The pool is dedicated to the memory of Frank F. Pinkerton, the father of CAFFE Trustee Christine. For the opening cermony, Christine wrote of her father: 'Swimming was a huge part of his life and no one understood or cared more about safety around water than him. I know this would be a project very close to his heart if he were still here.'

Digital Ocean Impact Grant

CAFFE was very fortunate to receive a grant of £8,000 from Digital Ocean's social impact programme 'DO Impact'. This donation played a huge role in helping us to build the pool and perhaps, ultimately save lives.

Students outside CAFFE

DO Impact Grant