Campaigners have held a virtual day of action to express their desire to save the Oasis and bring it back into public ownership.

The Swindon branch of the community union ACORN has held the latest in a series of public events online last Saturday.

Photos of supporters with ‘Save the Oasis’ signs were tweeted to Swindon Borough Council, Seven Capital and members of the Oasis Task Force.

Member Jon Timbrell said: “It would be an absolute tragedy to lose the Oasis and that’s why we’re going to do everything we can to keep it.

“ACORN is not here to just protest or signal our discontent that it’s closing down. We’re here to fight to keep it open.

“We’re serious about keeping it open and about organising a community to win this fight,” he added.

The event, originally intended to be in-person, was moved on-line in response to the increasing infection rate, and Swindon’s move into tier 3, then 4.

Over the Christmas period around 200 supporters sent in photos to be tweeted by ACORN on the day after GLL surrendered their lease of the facility, marking the first day the leisure centre was officially without an operator.

ACORN member Gary Green said: “‘We may have had to postpone our physical day of action, but no pandemic will stop us fighting to keep our Oasis open and back in public hands!"

Jon added: “We had a bigger response than we were expecting.

“It was absolutely brilliant show of the strength of feeling around the closure. It really feels like there’s been a groundswell of support.”

The event comes after ACORN's ‘Day of Action’ at the Oasis in December, which saw supporters leave their messages on the Oasis, as well as a coordinated letter writing campaign where 100 people submitted letters to the Council's Scrutiny Committee.

Jon said: “It is clearly an absolutely treasured community resource. Not just for families or people enjoying going to gigs or events, but we are increasingly hearing from disabled people who say it’s the only pool in Swindon that wheelchair users can enter easily.

“So it performs all of these functions that everyone might not think of straightaway," said Jon.

“Our town has lost a lot of community assets over the years and it would be a massive blow if the Oasis was to be lost,” he added.

The leisure centre first opened in1976 when it boasted 'the biggest leisure dome in Europe', but last year did not reopen after the November lockdown.

Natalie North, another member of Swindon ACORN said: “We know the Council and 7Capital heard us loud and clear!

"We’re not going anywhere until the Oasis is open and back in the hands of local people.

"We have plenty more events in the pipeline, and the determination and organisation to fight for what local people deserve."