The building is very clean, I can see the staff do genuinely care about satisfying customers and they are so lovely. Best leisure I've been to.
Location
Switch locationFernham Road, SN7 7LB Faringdon, GB
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New to area. Someone showed me around with a a lot of information and answered any other questions I had, Anja. Nice small centre, sauna and steam room a big bonus.
Company replied
Really helpful staff, cleanest gym I’ve ever experienced, pool and steam/sauna facilities are amazing. Can’t fault this gym, fell on my feet moving here 🙏
Company replied
Changing rooms and toilets smell and are dirty; Floor is filthy as parents’ waiting area is by the pool, washing all shoe dirt into the pool; Every lesson my son had was with a different coach who... See more
Company replied
Company details
Written by the company
Welcome to Better! We’re a charitable social enterprise, committed to the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community. From gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools to lessons and courses for both adults and juniors - plus libraries and children's centres - we've got it all. So whether you’d like to try something new, keep the kids entertained or have a dip in the pool, discover our inclusive range of activities, suitable for all ages and abilities at your local Better centre today.
Contact info
Fernham Road, SN7 7LB, Faringdon, United Kingdom
4.3
Excellent
31 reviews
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Aqua Class
I attend Aqua twice a week and love attending it. The teacher is fantastic and makes everyone feel welcome,
Have been using the centre for many years and will continue to do so.
Lovely centre and lovely staff.
February 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Good Afternoon Malcolm,
We hope you're having a fantastic day!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! We're absolutely thrilled to know that you're loving the Aqua Classes at the Faringdon Leisure Centre. It brings us joy to hear that the instructor makes you feel so welcome and that you're having a great time in class. We're also delighted to hear that our staff has been friendly and engaging during your visits to the centre.
Wishing you a wonderful day ahead!
Kind regards,
Charmaine
No communication cancelling the…
No communication cancelling the induction or contact rebooking another one
January 27, 2025
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Corey,
Thanks for your review.
We are sorry to hear that your booking was cancelled and no one has reached out to rebook.
We have contacted the centre team and asked them to contact you to book you a new induction.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Absolutely do not recommend
Changing rooms and toilets smell and are dirty;
Floor is filthy as parents’ waiting area is by the pool, washing all shoe dirt into the pool;
Every lesson my son had was with a different coach who had no clue of what level he was on and what he was supposed to be working on;
Out of a 30m lesson, nearly 10m were wasted due to delay letting children in the water and then coaches tried to figure out where each student belonged, after realising classes were over overbooked my child was moved to a class where he wasn’t able to do much as it was too advanced for him to keep up, so he swallowed a lot of water, chocked and did a lot of walking instead of swimming.
October 8, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Good Afternoon Vanessa,
I hope this message finds you well.
I want to express my sincere gratitude for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
I am reaching out to you to personally address the concerns you raised regarding your recent experience at the Faringdon Leisure Centre. Your feedback is incredibly important to us, and I want to assure you that we take your comments very seriously.
I want to extend my deepest apologies for the issues you encountered during your visit to our facility. It is truly disheartening to learn that the high standards of maintenance and customer service that we strive for were not met during your time at the centre. Please know that your experience does not reflect the level of service we aim to provide, and I am genuinely sorry that we fell short in this instance.
Moreover, I was particularly troubled to learn about the challenges your son faced in his swimming lessons due to the frequent changes in the swimming instructor. We understand the importance of consistency and personalized attention in swimming instruction, and I want to assure you that we are taking immediate steps to address this issue to ensure that all our young swimmers receive the best possible experience and instruction.
Once again, I want to express my sincere apologies for the disappointment you experienced, and I want to assure you that we are committed to taking the necessary actions to improve our services and prevent such occurrences in the future.
Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention, and please know that your feedback will be instrumental in helping us to better serve our valued customers.
Sincerely,
Charmaine
Didn’t realise you had to pay two…
Didn’t realise you had to pay two months up front plus a joining fee, it’s a lot when signing up two children
September 7, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Good Afternoon Kim,
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry you were unaware of the advance fee associated with swimming lessons when you signed your children up at the Faringdon Leisure Centre. This fee is used as your child's final month of membership when you request to cancel the membership in the future and we do not collect from your bank. We appreciate your feedback regarding the sign-up process and I will ensure to pass this on to the Web Developers and the Online Joining Team.
We hope your children enjoy their swimming Lessons at the Faringdon Leisure Centre.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Disappointed
Pool was filthy with large deposits of sand and cold.
There is no availability in any of the evening classes, so I am expected to pay for a membership that is not being fully offered to me.
July 25, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Clare,
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry to hear that you found the pool to be filthy and cold and have passed this to the centre.
As a member you have access to 7 days advance booking, whereas non-members only have 5 days advanced booking.
Your membership gives you access to gym, swimming and fitness classes so if one activity is fully booked, you are able to use other facilities/activities.
Warm Regards
Hazal
There are a mix of different classes at…
There are a mix of different classes at the gym. The teachers are very good.
Also the staff at the gym are helpful and friendly.
The main disadvantage is there are limited numbers for the classes so you have to book quickly, as soon as they are released. As they get booked very quickly.
July 29, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Kamala
Thank you for your review.
It's wonderful to see that you are participating in various fitness classes we offer and have had the opportunity to speak with and meet our staff and instructors.
Please note for future bookings, our fitness classes are made available for booking 7 days in advance to ensure all members have the opportunity to reserve the classes they prefer!
Kind Regards
Amir
Good and areas to improve
Positives - Good equipment, plenty of free slots for swimming and gym use. The staff are friendly and very helpful.
Development - So many of the classes are full. If unable to offer a variety or put on additional classes, then this should be reflected in the pricing structure.
Be good to remove the sand out of the pool - I use to live near a beach and use our local pool and that didn't have anywhere near as much as this pool has.
July 29, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your review.
We are happy to receive your feedback in relation to our Faringdon branch and have passed this to the centre.
Warm Regards
Hazal
I am still waiting for the gym to get…
I am still waiting for the gym to get back to me to book an induction.
April 18, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Penny,
Thank you for your review.
If you would like to book an induction you can do so via the app or by emailing the centre directly: Faringdon@GLL.ORG
Warm Regards
Hazal
Feedback of swimming and functional training
Clean, easy to book and I really like the double lane for swimming as it allows for overtaking and you can swim butterfly without being too close to the swimmer going in the opposite direction. However, I do feel that the functional trg area needs jump boxes, heavier DBs and a half rack.
April 12, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi
We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying your time at our Faringdon Leisure Centre.
Your feedback about the equipment has been noted and will be forwarded to the Centre for consideration.
We hope this will contribute to an improved experience with us.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Kind Regards
Amir
There was no induction when I joined
There was no induction when I joined, introduction to the gym or anything else. Also Health and Safety evacuation plans explained or where to go for help.
Understandably there is a repair/refurbishment of the changing rooms going on, but no indication how long this will take to complete.
January 3, 2024
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Good Evening David,
Thank you for your review.
Please be advised that you are required to book an Induction online via your profile if you would like to be shown how to use the apparatus in the Gym. This is not something that is mandatory and is optional for customers who wish to undertake one. Our evacuation plans are usually on the wall in each centre so if you do not see this, please speak to a member of the team at the centre and they will show you this. They can also advise you on the date the changing rooms will become available after the refurbishment.
We hope you can continue to enjoy your membership at the Faringdon leisure centre.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Looks like it’s had a refurbishment…
Looks like it’s had a refurbishment recently. Looks good.
Sauna and steam room were good, however they are only available during swim for fitness which is a shame as they are only on at awkward times due to being next to a college.
The pool has a lot of sand in it, presumably from people returning from holidays with sandy swimwear.
All nice and clean and the showers were hot which makes a change from some places.
Does get a little busy in the pool but is manageable to get a good session out of it.
December 20, 2023
Reply from Better - Faringdon Leisure Centre
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your review.
We are happy to hear that you are enjoying Faringdon Leisure Centre and we appreciate your feedback.
Warm Regards
Hazal
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