the sands is a good gym plenty of room clean tidey but its like everywhere else you go the PTs are not very good with teaching bodybuilding but they are ok at helping people lose weight
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Location
Switch locationNewmarket Rd, CA1 1JQ Carlisle, GB
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Just joined the Sands & made very welcome by all the staff but especially Chloe. Played pickleball then dance fitness, followed by a get-together with coffee & cake. What a great morning with lots o... See more
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Although good facilities I'm shocked at the lack respect certain areas are given! kids running riot in the gym! Teen-agers using the gym as a social/posing gathering area, unsupervised, sitting... See more
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most gym instructors seem welcoming and friendly. they’re helpful and supportive. we feel the “junior gym” label almost makes it sound as though the sessions are for the age range included, only. th... See more
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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
Newmarket Rd, CA1 1JQ, Carlisle, United Kingdom
3.9
Great
61 reviews
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Very friendly staff in the gym it has a…
Very friendly staff in the gym it has a friendly atmosphere and makes you want to return.
September 4, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Morning Christine,
I wanted to express our gratitude for taking the time to provide your feedback.
We are absolutely delighted to learn that you are thoroughly enjoying your membership at the The Sands Centre. We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you have consistently experienced friendly and welcoming service from the staff every time you visit the centre.
Your feedback means a lot to us, and we are committed to maintaining the high standards of customer service that you have come to expect from us. Thank you for your support!
Kind regards,
Charmaine
I have just joined this leisure centre…
I have just joined this leisure centre and I am really impressed with the facilities and the staff. The gym is spacious and immaculate. Swimming pool is ideal- like the view of bustling Carlisle too! It was very easy to join and the staff are very friendly.
September 2, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Dear Carolyn,
We greatly appreciate your review.
We are thrilled to learn of your satisfaction with your membership at The Sands Centre and the exemplary professionalism and friendliness of our staff. Furthermore, we are delighted to hear about your positive experience with the well-maintained and spacious facilities. We hope that you will continue to derive value from your membership at The Sands Centre.
Warm regards,
Charmaine
Sands Leisure Centre
Having recently joined as a member, I have been pleased with the level of cleanliness and the helpfulness of staff who have been very friendly & welcoming.
August 9, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your review.
We are so pleased to hear you are enjoying The Sands Centre.
Thank you for choosing us to assist you with your fitness journey!
Warm Regards
Hazal
sands centre carlisle leisure centre
most gym instructors seem welcoming and friendly. they’re helpful and supportive.
we feel the “junior gym” label almost makes it sound as though the sessions are for the age range included, only. this misinterpretation hasn’t been a problem however it should be better advertised to avoid further confusion. all the gym apparatus is clean, well maintained and the facilities are outstanding. both the staff and attendants to all the centre are pleasant and friendly with one another. overall this centre is good and i would recommend to all age groups for not only the gym, but also the swimming pools, fitness classes and court renting.
August 9, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Kara
Thank you for your feedback.
We are very pleased to see you are enjoying your experience at our Sands Centre and thank you for the recommendation.
The term 'Junior Gym sessions' is used because these times are available for junior members to attend the centre. This does not impact adult memberships or reservations. We apologise for any misunderstanding this may have caused.
We hope you continue to enjoy your time at our centre and thank you for choosing Better.
Kind Regards
Amir
The staff are friendly and welcoming
The staff are friendly and welcoming, they are happy to give advice on exercises etc
August 5, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Mark
Thank you for your review.
It is wonderful to see the staff at our Sands Centre have been able to advise on exercises and have made you feel welcome.
We hope you continue to enjoy your time at our centre and with Better.
Kind Regards
Amir
Fantastic
Booking was simple and coaches were very helpful in getting the kids in the right classes
August 1, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi DD,
Thank you for your review.
We are so delighted you are enjoying The Sands Centre!
Warm Regards
Hazal
Poor teaching…
For swimming lessons for my girls aged 4 I expected a level of experience and confidence im sadly mistaken I was going to review this last week but gave them the benefit only to experience this again.
Never mind the complications to actually book them !
The teachers simply aren't interested in the class there are 10 children only 1 teacher and 3 others just occasionally look when they aren't chatting to each other.
The man who took the class cant be bothered to show anybody how to actually swim, he doesnt listen to my children nor any parents nor anyone else who is attempting to learn.
It feels he is going through the motions to recieve his money and ive no idea what the other 3 are paid to do.
I wont be bring them back despite have pre paid for a worthless course.
No encouragement given , no praise given , no pointers given absolutely nothing comes from this guy sad day for him and his students and the Sands Centre who let this happen I feel.
June 26, 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good morning Andrew,
I would like to express my gratitude for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I am deeply saddened to learn about the concerns you have raised regarding the swimming lessons at the Sands Centre. Our dedicated instructors undergo extensive training to ensure the delivery of exceptional lessons and to foster water confidence for individuals of all ages and abilities. It is disheartening to hear that your experience did not reflect this commitment. I assure you that I will personally ensure that your feedback is brought to the attention of the center manager for thorough review and necessary action. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Afternoon Walter
Thank you for leaving the staff and our Sands Leisure Centre a review.
We are very happy to see you are enjoying your time at our centre and have had the opportunity to meet the friendly staff.
Your review has been passed on to the centre staff and thank you for choosing Better.
Kind Regards
Amir
A nightmare to deal with on web/phone, great in person
A nightmare to deal with if anything goes wrong, booking a swim session should be easy.. Nope!
The better website and contact system is a nightmare and after multiple logging in issues and payment errors I've just paid twice for a swim session. Now I have to wait a minimum of 14 days for a refund to be assessed, apparently no refunds are issued for cancellations even if its the Better website that caused the duplication!!!!!
However the staff onsite are excellent
April 1, 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Afternoon GP,
Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent booking.
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by the duplication of your reservation, resulting in two charges to your account. Please note that we do provide refunds for erroneous duplicate charges. However, if the booking in question does not appear in our system, you will need to complete a refund request form and may experience a waiting period of up to 14 days for the manual processing of your refund. This duration is typically longer than if we can process the refund directly through our system.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Straightforward website and joining…
Straightforward website and joining process. Great facilities at Carlisle Sands Centre.
March 21, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Morning Simon,
Thank you for your review.
We are delighted to hear that you found the online joining process simple and straight forward and was able to find a membership suitable for your needs. We hope you can now enjoy your membership at the newly built Sands Centre.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
The place is neat and clean
The place is neat and clean, the instructors are helpful, ample equipments, and lots of fitness classes based on the requirements.
March 26, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Mary!
Hope you're having a great day! I just wanted to drop by and say thank you so much for your review - we truly appreciate it. We're thrilled to hear that you're loving your membership at The Sands Centre and that the instructors have been super helpful during your visits. It's also great to know that you're enjoying the wide selection of equipment and fitness classes available at the centre.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience with us!
Kind regards,
Charmaine
recently joined
I've recently joined the gym having never been in the Sands centre Gym. I thought I might have been given a tour of the place to show me where everything was. But it was case of just stumbling my own way around. So that's the negative part. Overall my experience has been good with helpful gym staff and relatively new and well maintained equipment.
March 1, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good afternoon Andrew,
I wanted to start by thanking you for taking the time to leave a review.
It's disheartening to learn that you didn't receive a tour from one of our staff members during your visit to the centre. However, we're thrilled to hear that you've since decided to become a member and are enjoying all of the wonderful facilities that we have to offer.
We hope that you'll continue to take advantage of the Sands Centre's newest amenities and participate in all of the exciting activities that we have available.
Best regards,
Charmaine
could do with more water aerobics
could do with more water aerobics, only 2 sessions per week isn't enough, I'm always on the waitlist as classes are booked within 10 mins of being online to book, everyone must be sitting on the webpage waiting for 10pm to book, even then 44 people in a small pool is not a good experience, and I'm sure breaking health and safety rules
January 15, 2024
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Dear Mrs Watt,
Good evening and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We apologize for the inconvenience caused due to the unavailability of the fitness class you wished to attend. Our fitness classes are very popular, and as soon as they are released at 10 pm, they get booked up very quickly. However, we ensure that the number of spaces available is only as per the pool's capacity.
We appreciate your concern and will pass it on to the center manager for their attention. They will look into the matter and ensure that it is not a health and safety issue.
I hope this information helps. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,
Charmaine
Gym music too loud & open pool on Saturday afternoonss
Gym is okay but for one thing - the music is far too loud !!!! It's the same radio station playing the same limited playlist again and again - and it's far too LOUD !!! Why not turn it down so we can all listen to our own stuff on our headphones- as it is the radio coming through the speakers drowns everything out- just so ridiculous ! Problem with the swimming pool is lack of capacity - the old pools was better as had a 20 metre pool to take some of strain (ie swimming lessons)-other local pools have shut as as well so not blaming sands management totally BUT why is pool shut so early on saturdays ??? Must be the only swimming pool in the civilized world that is shut on Saturday afternoons
December 9, 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for your review.
We are disappointed to hear that you find the music too loud and have passed on your comments to the centre managemnet team so they can investigate and action any changes necessary.
In addition, if you would like to discuss this with the centre directly, their email address is: sands.centre@gll.org
Warm Regards
Hazal
There is nothing Better about Better…
There is nothing Better about Better they should change the Name to Worse or Abysmal.
They have closed down all of our local pools. The excuse was the maintenance costs were to expensive. The maintenance wasn't carried out during covid and they have used this as an excuse to close older facilities.
We have lost 5 pools in total and massively reduced the hours of another with imminent closure.
The council have just built a brand new swimming pool facility with 1 1/2 pools which is always fully booked because there isn't enough capacity for some reason.
And to top it off they have just discovered airated concrete in the roof of the adjoining buildings. All events in that building have been cancelled for at least the next 18 months and the brand new pool facility may need to close as well during the required remedial work.
To make matters worse they have just increased the prices as well.
You really couldn't make up what a awful organisation they are.
November 29, 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Afternoon Niall,
Thank you for your review.
We appreciate the time you took to write the above feedback. To answer your points I can confirm that the aging Carlisle Pools facility were closed as the new Sands Centre opened, offering a similar like for like water space in a modern environment. The facility is proving to be very popular, However swimming places are available by booking via the GLL Better App.
There are no plans to close the pool during the RAAC replacement work.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
The lady at the desk was very helpful…
The lady at the desk was very helpful in helping me download the better app
November 10, 2023
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Good Evening David,
Thank you for your review.
We are very happy to hear that the staff at the centre were helpful when assist you with downloading the Better UK App. We hope they have been able to show you how to set this up so you can now make bookings online and enjoy your membership at the Sand Centre.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Instructors have been great so far
Instructors have been great so far, my only two grudges are the scramble to book a class and one of the receptionists is most unhelpful to the level I nearly didn't bother joining.
October 26, 2023
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Mary,
Thank you for your review.
We are glad you are enjoying the classes at The Sands Centre and are sorry to hear that you have found the concierge team unhelpful and we will pass this onto the centre management team.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Excellent customer Sercice girls…
One of the customer service girls helped me on the system to join.
There was a problem.with accessing my account . However, it was sorted within a day. Very impressed with the excellent service 👏
November 7, 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Joanie,
Thank you for your review.
We are delighted to hear that our Customer Service representative Gillian was able to assist you and have forwarded your feedback to her.
Warm Regards
Hazal
New membership
Good facilities enjoyed the classes. Only complaint is that staff did not explain to me the checking in systems to get through the barriers which seems very lax with easy access to lockers. Given problems at other gyms recently with theft I think security should be better. Also these barriers are upstairs away from the main doors where staff are on the desk and one barrier is always open for exiting but you can just walk in that way too. Nor did anyone tell me about putting in your car registration so you don’t pay for parking. I found all this out on my second visit from another helpful customer.
October 18, 2023
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your review.
We are happy to hear you are enjoying the classes at The Sands Centre and will pass on your feedback in regards to the barriers and car park to the centre.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Unhelpful reception!! …
The swimming pool is mainly used for swimming classes when I am available to go at 5.30 pm and they take up over half the pool so it is a constant battle to avoid people if you simply want to swim lengths. The main problem however is the people behind the reception desk. Three sat there tonight but only one apparently able to assist checking in for swimming or classes causing a backlog and extreme frustration when in a time limit. I was completely ignored while a huge conversation went on with an individual about what type of classes they could be interested in in the future!!! The other person sat swivelling on a chair watching me and the end lady shook her head and pointed at the person unable to serve - ridiculous!!
October 11, 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - The Sands Centre
Hi
I am sorry to hear about your experience in our Centre.
Please contact our Customer Service Team directly and they will be able to assist in escalating your complaint.
The email address is - customerservices@gll.org
Regards
Amir
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