Dorchester’S new sports centre has received a major funding boost in one of the final acts of a group supporting swimming in the town.

Work on the £8million sports facility, which will include a six-lane swimming pool, is well underway at the site of the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre.

The partnership project, which is being led by West Dorset District Council, has now received a welcome donation of £72,000 from the Dorchester Swimming Bath Trustees.

The Trustees have been campaigning for a new pool in the county town since 1975 and some of the donations they collected can even be traced back as far as the Second World War.

With the new pool finally secured as part of the sports centre, the Trustees will be winding up their organisation in the next months and one of their final efforts was to hand over the funds to those building the facility.

They also made a further donation of £10,000 to maintain the pool at Damers First School in the town.

A special ceremony was held at the site of the Dorchester Sports Centre for the Swimming Bath Trustees to hand over their donation to WDDC leader Robert Gould.

Former Mayor of Dor-chester and founder of the Dorchester Swimming Bath Trustees Les Phillips said: “This donation, along with a smaller grant to support the swimming facility at Dam-ers School, brings a series of grants that have been made over many years by the trustees to a conclusion.

“I wish to show my appreciation to all of the trustees who have worked together to do this and we wish West Dorset District Council every success in delivery of the new Dorchester Sports Centre.”

Councillor Gould said: “We are very grateful to the Dorchester Swimming Bath Trustees, and all the people who have donated money to their campaign.

“We are delighted with the progress that has already been made in building the new centre and are very much looking forward to its completion in spring 2012.

“It will be a fantastic new facility open to local people to enjoy all day, every day.”

As well as the six-lane pool with spectator gallery, the centre will also include a learner pool, 60-station fitness suite, dance studio and increased car parking.