Leisure Centre Reviews 190

Local leisure centre was recently taken over by this company, from Boston Borough Council, and we've had nothing but trouble since. Firstly, all of our memberships were cancelled without warning. Only found out when I took my children for their weekly swimming lessons and were not allowed to take part. We had a wasted journey and all the hassle of trying to get them restarted. Explained to staff that we wanted to continue the swimming lessons but not my and my 16 year old's gym membership. They decided to restart our gym memberships, with new terms and conditions, without my agreement. When I complained about this I was told they would sort it out. Now I receive a message that my son's account is in arrears and he's being charged £20 penalty, for an account that he didn't want, hasn't agreed to and hasn't used. Called Customer Services and they said they couldn't help, and that the new terms and conditions apply. Not only that but they responded by charging a further £20 penalty the following day. Disgusted with this company. Extremely poor service and only seem interested in milking as much money from people as possible.

Update (18/03/24): Seems like a lot of people are having similar problems with this company. However, after writing this review I have received a response from the company (see their reply below my review) and now at least I have a useable contact email address where I can send my complaint. Not sure why their Customer Service team couldn't provide this via the telephone? Will update if I receive further response from them.

Update (23/3/24): I have now received a very helpful response from the Head of Customer Services, who was able to quickly resolve the problem. Although I am disappointed that I had to complain, and that this could not be dealt with via my first telephone conversation, I am now satisfied with their resolution. I have therefore changed my rating from 1 Star to 3 Stars to reflect this.

I would have given less than one star if there was that option.
DOWNHAM HEALTH AND LEISURE CENTRE Swimming pool. What can I say …. Cancellations whilst you are already in the pool, twice last week without a phone call. Pool closed on Monday, again no phone call although they apparently managed to phone the swim schools (lucky them). Arrived today and guess what? YES, my session is cancelled again with no call.
I have emailed twice with a complaint, the 1st when their website was down at the latter part of last year/beginning of this year when I was unable to book any sessions and the 2nd complaint last week! No emails back but why would I expect that at this stage if myself and the other lane swimmers don’t warrant even a simple call. I will say they are more than happy to take the monthly payments yet the members are treated appallingly.
In this day an age a generic message sent to the members on the app would be very helpful and would stop us wasting our time!
Update 11/03/2024.THE REPLY WAS A LOAD OF FLANNEL. ANOTHER CANCELLED SESSION TODAY WHEN I WAS ALREADY IN THE POOL. That’s the 5th in three weeks and only one of these was because of the pool water.

I’m trying to speak with With the manager Andy nearly 3 weeks trying to speak with the manager, Andy, the reception refusing to give my number to the manager. Maybe manager doesn’t want to speak with me I don’t know one of them too
Absolutely wasting time you can’t explain Yourself to them very bad stuff They treating customers horrible they have to more training specially reception site and rest of the staff us well
My boy been for swimming lesson almost 45 weeks and he can’t past the stage teacher doesn’t give him any points. Weeks and weeks It’s absolutely wasting your money and time stuff doesn’t care about the customer service ask for the manager stuff always saying managers not here that manager deserve this money if it’s not if doesn’t stay there manager there Who controlled this branch has no control? that’s why stuff can do what they like? Stuff doesn’t allow me to speak, maybe manages Andy
there who knows that?
This reception needs completely change reception stuff Definitely not recommended this place just wasting the money and time. be travelling every Monday like 25 minutes what for to see my boy only warm water 45 weeks almost one year one child to pass the stage. This is a ridiculous they keep saying you know your child can do this. That’s why we can’t give the point blah blah but that’s why you private teacher there I know directly private, that’s why you have a small amount kids in a one group for example, if you can’t swim in a back that’s why you should focus in for that child that’s the teacher hand it’s not only the child if you was swimming well why you taking for the lesson is that make sense just wasting your money any time this is ridiculous keep repeating the same, they learn the same word i’m not happy about this as supposed to be maximum 30 weeks child to pass the stage. This is crazy weeks and weeks doesn’t give any points so that means we have to keep go the same stage. I’m not saying you have to give for my son without he deserve the point, but this is ridiculous why the teacher doesn’t focusing if something the child doesn’t able to do and for that child to do this you understand what I’m trying to say this is ridiculous I’m fed up to go same stage one year we spoke regarding this with the manager he was really kind with me and he explained blah blah but I don’t care why are you saying I need results
Maybe your politic, they give you this from the top hold the people and they charge more them I don’t know I’m starting thinking that now 45 weeks you imagine highly recommended this place

Be very careful if you are thinking of signing up to the Gym membership. My daughter signed up for this in August and now is finding it hard with all her other outgoings to afford £47 a month. Lex Leisure who claim to be a Community Interest Company have refused to release her from the 12 month agreement. They want sight of a notice of dismissal from employment and bank statements to evidence a reduction in salary or other proof such as HMRC evidence concerning income reduction. Most companies say if you find you struggling then come to us don't just bury your head in the sand. She is still working but with everything else going up in price decisions have to be made about priorities. The membership was taken out in good faith. MY SUGGESTION IS AVOID SIGNING UP FOR A FIXED GYM MEMBERSHIP AT SIDCUP LEISURE CENTRE . LEX LEISURE CIC EXTREMELY UNREASONABLE.

January 2024 - They have still maintained the position that regardless of being unreasonable she must continue to pay almost £50 a month until August 2024 . Recommend do not sign up for this annual membership

Me and my wife decided to join the gym at our local leisure centre in Dereham. We walked in, signed up and had nothing to pay until February. My wife has a chlorine aversion since COVID back in 2020 but we had no idea the chlorine would still have an effect on her with being in the upstairs gym. We done our induction, my wife used the gym once and we decided to cancel. Apparently, if you walk in and sign up.. there's no cooling off period. So we have to pay the full month's worth of membership. If we had joined up online.. we could of avoided the charge apparently. Absolutely ridiculous. I will not recommend this company whatsoever to anyone in this town.

*ERITH LEISURE CENTRE*
I booked a party at the soft play venue in this centre for 22nd Dec, 2-4pm. I expected to arrive to a clean, tidy room with jugs of squash, kids cups and everything including the soft play equipment, clean and ready to go.

Instead we arrived to the debris of the party before, cake squashed on the floor, half eaten food strewn about, no members of staff in sight and a filthy room and floor.
Having waited 10 minutes I asked at the front desk and they called again to get someone to clean, but still no one arrived. Ultimately we had to clean up the floor, tables, clear away party cake, clean the kitchen and chairs ourselves.
Our guests started to arrive, the venue was still in disarray and we had not set up as we had spent so much time cleaning someone else’s party away.

All the staff kept saying was ‘they were short staffed’ which in all honestly is entirely for Erith sports centre and the management team to take responsibility for. Whether or not the centre is short staffed is not something that should be put back on to paying customers.

Many things were not addressed adequately, I asked for the bin to be emptied 3 times (it was overflowing onto the floor) We waited over 25 minutes with no squash jugs or cups and 25 hot, thirsty 4 and 5 yr olds. We went out and bought our own in the end, and brought them back to the party.
The soft play equipment was in total disarray and clearly was not cleaned following the previous party, which in itself is a health hazard and not what we would have expected.
No one knew how to use the speaker or where to get a cable, what is the point in having a speaker if literally no one knows how to use it /where the equipment is.
When eventually we got the plastic cups, we were given plastic pint glasses. For 4 -5 years olds, for a birthday party. Totally inappropriate and pretty useless to boot.

My experience today was both awful and extremely disappointing. I paid a lot of money for this party to celebrate my daughters birthday, and it was her first proper party.
When it got to 4pm there was a cleaner ready and waiting for us to finish so the next party would have been spotless, unlike ours. Furthermore the next party guests were allowed to come in and harass us as to when we would be out, at 4pm. Given that our party started late due to us cleaning and that not one member of staff was available in our ‘clean up period’ this just added insult to injury.
It was absolutely not worth the money, and overall I cannot believe that you can charge for such an appalling service.

Leisure Centre took over management of Downham
from 1 life around May 2023. Almost immediately the centre has gone into decline.

- Constantly cancel swim school classes
- 50% don't get contacted about the classes being cancelled, so turn up to be turned away with my children.
- Refunds promissed but never returned.
- Twice removed my children from swim school lessons they were in, then not letting them back on and insisting they have to go onto another class as the original was now full
- 4 months to get my child onto the appropriate class after being moved up through assessment.
- 6 months to fix a toilet
- My profile on the app is not setup correctly due to data migration on their side at the takeover, but there is no way to fix it so I cannot book on courses.
- There are no managers with accountability or presence at the centre, so leave the front desk staff to take the brunt of complaints
- But because the front desk staff have no training/power to do anything there is a constant loop of disinformation and lack of help.
- Only contact number is for reception, so cannot escalate any of this further than the people who cannot help.

I feel really bad for the existing members of staff. Previously, I would regularly praise Downham Leisure Centre to others about how it was operating. The swim school staff were motivated, the place was super clean and you could see there was a collective and collaborative buzz. There was a fantastic General Manager.

Now, and very sadly, it is in rapid decline

I enjoy being a member .The staff are all friendly and the premises are clean .
I attend a weekly yoga class on Tuesday from 12.45-1.45 pm with Maria .
She is a wonderful experienced yoga teacher and a lovely person .
I also enjoy a regular swim .

Ok so I needed to bring my young daughters swimming ability up as with Covid et al she had not had much by way of pool time. I put her in for the local authority pool swimming lessons run by Parkwood (leisurecentre.com) and paid by monthly direct debit.
The lessons were ok, really nothing special at all but she progressed slowly through a couple of levels, changing days/times but always weekdays after school.
She then gets promoted to the next level again and I am asked to contact Leisure Centre to arrange the new class. When I call I am told that the only available class is on a Saturday morning which we cannot do. I told the staff that Saturday mornings were no good to us but was told that was all that was available and that they could put me on the “priority” waiting list for a weekday slot. Ok I said, in that case can you put a freeze on my membership until a class is available please? Oh no came the reply, we have offered you a class (which we cannot do) so you have to keep paying.
7 weeks later and the only contact has been to cancel 1 lesson that we couldn’t attend anyway with only 2 hours notice.
I phone up this morning to cancel the membership that I am paying for and have got nothing out of for nearly 2 months, I get to listen to the “your call is important to us” message while I waste more of my time. When I finally get to speak to someone I get told that even though I have been paying for a service I was not getting for the best part of 2 months I would still have to pay a months notice so effectively I have paid Parkwood nearly £90 for nothing, easy money if you can get it.
Parkwood can hide behind “terms and conditions” as much as they like but any reasonable company would either have frozen the membership payments when they were unable to provide lessons we can attend or would have waived the notice fee as I had already paid 2 months direct debits for nothing.
Think VERY carefully before you deal with these people.

I don’t recommend it at all.
I tried to cancel my membership (Hutton Moor Leisure Centre) on 05/09/2023, but received no replies. So I tried over the phone today, 07/09/2023, and the lady said that they have a 1 month notice police. Meaning that I’d pay the correspondent to 7 days in October, right? Wrong! Even cancelling on the first week of September, I still need to pay FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER. This is ridiculous.
So I’m stuck with that horrible gym for one more month.
Join any other gym, but not this one.

I am enjoying classes a lot at the Erith Leisure Center gym. it is just amazing. Amazing classes. full equiped gym area plus you can even go swimming to improve your overall health. Nice music and good support sysmtem from the team. I just got a call to check on how I was doing
and recently I have been going thru a lot with my health. As a nurse I can say they do holistic care here, I was left in tears but I found myself getting ready to go to the gym on my rest day lol. It's amazing how a nice call can turn things aound and leave you feeling good. Thanks guys, I need that call after spending all mornimng doing tests at the hospital.

Swimming lessons were great, but the overall management is awful.
First of all, I wasn't notified, that I should notice a month ahead that I want to stop the subscription.
After we stop visiting, the subscription was still functioning. After I rejected payment for our not attending them, they not stop subscription, but still continue to redirect me from one department to another.
Their online site also don't provide a way to stop subscription.

As soon as we entered the facility, it almost felt like they were ready to be rude. Maybe they had a bad day but it felt like it was plumitted on us. There were two male staff one was not wearing uniform and the other was balding. Won’t be going there again. It was like we had done something wrong but they were attacking us like vultures, so rude. When we asked for a didferent racket that wasn’t broken he said no and made up the fact that they were stollen, however I could literally see them. The balding one needs to be taught manners and how to deal with customers and the non-uniform one did not say a word to us. Filthy, I wish I could put 0 stars.

This is Vauxhal leisure Centre 50 lambeth Rd, SW8,1DY I’ve been going since it was built 2019 I go 2/3 times weekly if you get there before 9am,9,30am a swim, steam, Sauna, very hygienic, spotlessly clean, £1 coin or token in lockers im unable to add photos very strange & Inconveient I find the Staff Helpful & polite I’ve got membership a excellent gym upstairs with nice views over the Park & Vauxhall Park over the Road on the 2B & 88 bus route I go Mondays, wens & Fridays

The whole thing is a mess : no coustomer service (Sahib very rude person), It took me couple of weeks to get hold of someone via phone, they literally avoid getting in touch so you can pay over and over again.Just because I delayed my cancellation one day after my direct debit I have to pay for an extra month

Joined gym with junior membership. Could access gym when gym was ooen and full use of all equipment.
New contract manager decides to change usage for junior members only and
impose restricted 1 hour slot mon to fri only. Told have section of sports hall with dated inadequate equipment. No reduction in monthly £17.35 fee. Asked for refund of DD as cancelled and joined a private gym (none of the private gyms have imposed such restrictions) list count of number of emails. Customer service say they cant help and the leisure centre contract manager wont help.

Seems to be a theme to how these guys operate. Dont sign up on DD

Great experience on recent visit to leisure centre. Helpful staff and good facilities.

The website & app is below 1*. Absolutely hopeless. It’s taken me several hours to navigate around it. Yes, several hours. You have to have a West Berkshire Card which I applied for online. Can you believe you then have to collect this from the leisure centre after several days but probably better to leave it for several weeks as it’s not likely to be there.I was was told by someone they post it out to you! When I collected it I was asked if anyone had told me to go there and collect it! After much effort the person managed to locate it in a box with loads of other cards. I attempted to book a lane swim which it says you have to do on the website. Not possible. I registered my membership without using a password and then had to login with a password. As I was not asked to make a password when registering how can i then login with one. I then tried to change the password but it didn’t recognise my username. Then later it did but said it already belongs to another member which is presumably me. I then tried to register again to try to give my registration a password but it wouldn’t then let me register with the same email. I tried several ways & in the end I went to the leis. centre & they said no-one registers for swims. So, why does it put this on the website?I was also told that the app wasn’t working so I kept saying i’m not using the app i’m using the website & i was told the website is not working either. When I spoke to someone else they retrieved my password from their system. But I did not put this password into the system when I registered as it didn’t ask me to set up a password. So, their ridiculous system allows you to register without a password, then sends an email confirming registration but then requests a password for login. So, i had to go to the leisure centre and they got the password from the system. I was then informed again that it’s not necessary to book a lane swim.I then changed the password which I had been given as it was now compromised. However, when I tried to log into the app as opposed to the website it would only let me use the one the staff member had given me. Can you believe that I then came across a “members portal” which I tried to log into. Can you believe it doesn’t accept either password, but it asks for a member number. After eventually finding my member number in a hidden corner of their website, which in their email is called a unique id number or something it wouldn’t accept it nor the west berks card number & nor the unique id number. After this I gave up. I started this saga 5 hours ago and I eventually managed to use the pool. Such incompetence is unbelievable. If an IT system doesn’t work 100 per cent it should be closed until it does, or better still scrapped altogether!

very nasty people, but only the ones who works in the head office, be aware as soon as you decide to cancel the bullying starts, they have instructed some kids to do the dirty work for them, avoid them by any cost these guys are desperate.

Excellent Customer Service from Sara R this morning. For week's I've tried to cancel my subscription with now joy after endless emails and going around in circles. After writing directly to the company yesterday this morning I had a personal response backed up with an email to say it was all sorted and cancelled. Many Thanks Sara much appreciated.