Meet the Team

Julie joined the team in 1996 as the first employee of Sandford Lido Ltd, the charity that operates the Lido. Her role has evolved over the years, including working as a Lifeguard and Duty Manager and she is now the CEO. Following the successful re-negotiation of our lease with Cheltenham Borough Council, Julie’s key responsibilities are to support Fabia with overseeing the running of the Lido and to maintain communication between the Board of Trustees and the rest of the permanent team. She is also responsible for planning our strategic future to ensure our amazing Lido not only survives these uncertain times, but thrives.

Fabia joined the Lido as the Events Manager in 2018 and has been General Manager since 2021. Originally from Guernsey, she moved to Cheltenham to study Sports Therapy at the University of Gloucestershire and has continued to live and work here since. She has worked in the leisure industry for the last 15 years, starting as a Personal Trainer before progressing into management. As General Manager, Fabia is responsible for overseeing the whole operation of the Lido, ensuring that budgets are met and creating synergy between all departments. She works closely with Julie and Board of Trustees with quarterly updates each year and she is also a Lifeguard Trainer Assessor.

Joe joined as a Lifeguard in 2015 and started working part-time during the winter of 2018. He became a Duty Manager in the summer of 2019 before securing a full-time role as Operations Supervisor at the end of the season. Joe then became Assistant Manager (Assets) at the end of 2020, where he is now responsible for maintaining the safety of the facility, running and maintaining the plant room and managing external contractors. He works on site with Mike, Graham and our lovely volunteers over the winter to ensure the site is always looking its best. Joe is also a Level 2 Swim Teacher.

Chris originally lifeguarded at the Lido 30 years ago, Studied Sport Science and Physiology at the University of Leeds and became Personal Trainer on the Lido Site with Reach Fitness for 20 years. He then became qualified as a mindfulness teacher and supported Young People with their Mental health for 5 years with Young Gloucestershire.  On returning to the Lido he now is in charge of all our Events and works as part of a dynamic team to ensure the success of these Events. During the season Chris will be a hands on duty manager. Chris is passionate about Mindfulness and good mental health and is an avid cold water swimmer. Chris is currently working closely with Fabia our General Manager to really enhance our offerings of events at the Lido.

Graham joined the Lido as a lifeguard in 2013 before becoming a Duty Manager in 2015. Since 2017 he has taken on a more maintenance-focused role and he is now responsible for the upkeep of the whole site as well as maintaining our pool plant room. His tasks include chemical testing, fixing broken equipment and carrying out risk assessments. Graham has a wealth of experience in the industry and works closely with Joe and Mike to ensure the site is safe for staff and visitors. With experience in triathlons, Graham is also a vital part of our events team and assists Chris with the set up and organisation of many of our events

As the latest addition to our team in 2024, we welcome Amy, our Marketing and Communications Assistant. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for marketing, social media and content creation, Amy is poised to elevate our brand presence to new heights. Her responsibilities include fostering strong relationships with our valued customers, handling press communications, and skilfully managing our social media channels. With Amy on board, we’re excited to embark on new endeavours and amplify our outreach efforts to connect with our audience in meaningful ways.

Sally started as a Receptionist in 2017 and then joined the permanent team as an Administrator in 2018. Sally looks after the day-to-day financial side of the business, ensuring invoices are paid on time and raising/sending out invoices for incoming money. She gathers and forwards the payroll information to our outside providers to make sure our permanent and seasonal teams receive their salaries each month. Sally also collects customer feedback through our NPS surveys, assists with the private hire administration and completes a whole range of other tasks to assist the team.

Mike has been enjoying the Lido since he was a young boy in 1968. He has volunteered here since the late 80s, completing various tasks from cleaning to site maintenance. In 2020, Mike joined our permanent team after retiring from running his own business. He works alongside Graham and Joe to keep the site looking its best and his jobs include cleaning the pool, painting the turnstiles and fencing and fixing broken equipment. He also works closely with our team of volunteers to maintain the Lido’s beautiful gardens.