Recently referred by my GP to the Ulverston branch of BETTER. Anne Stemp processed my application and created an exercise programme based on my needs. Nice gym and friendly staff it’s been a very goo... See more
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Location
Switch locationPriory Road, LA12 9HT Ulverston, GB
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I explained to the guy on the reception desk that I am recovering from spinal surgery. My surgeon told me that walking in the pool would help to rebuild the strength in my muscles. The guy on receptio... See more
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Leaving aside the age of the building, the staff are really heapful and friendly. But the web site (and other IT) is terrible. The booking process is non-intuitive, as a result I've needed to call t... See more
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Staff are not friendly when entering . A few arm weights machines don't work properly because their so rusty. They stick and you have to take the pin out and less with the weights to get the right wei... 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
Priory Road, LA12 9HT, Ulverston, United Kingdom
3.9
Great
36 reviews
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Convenient local facility offering a…
Convenient local facility offering a good range of activities.
I used the gym which was fine but
1. Several of the stations were out of use needing maintenance
2. No secure lockers for the storage of
personal items.
3. Whilst it was not a problem for me I was surprised that I was allowed to just do what I wanted without being asked about my health, capabilities, or familiarity with the equipment.
April 7, 2025
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Stan,
Thank you for sharing your feedback!
We're glad to hear you found the Ulverston Leisure Centre convenient and appreciated the range of activities available. We apologise for the issues you encountered with the gym equipment and locker security. We’ll definitely look into getting the maintenance sorted and explore more secure locker options.
Regarding your experience with gym supervision, we truly appreciate your thoughts. Your safety and well-being are important to us, and we’re always looking for ways to improve our approach. We’ll take this into consideration and see how we can better support our members with guidance on equipment usage and health assessments.
Thanks again for your feedback, and we hope to welcome you back soon!
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Good Morning Nicola,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We are thrilled to hear that you are enjoying your membership at the Ulverston Leisure Centre. It's wonderful to know that our staff has made a positive impression on your experience by being friendly and engaging during your visits.
We strive to create a welcoming atmosphere for all our members, and your feedback reinforces our commitment to providing excellent service. If there’s anything else we can do to enhance your experience further, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Wishing you a great day ahead!
Best regards,
Charmaine
My daughter really enjoyed her lesson
My daughter really enjoyed her lesson. However the pool is sooooo cold. She took hours to warm back up!
November 4, 2024
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Good Evening Kim,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
We are thrilled to hear that your daughter is enjoying her swimming lessons at the Ulverston Leisure Centre. It's wonderful to know that our facilities and instructors are meeting your expectations and contributing positively to your daughter's learning experience.
We are very sorry to hear that the pool was cold and we will pass on your comments to the centre management team to look into this issue. Your input is invaluable as we strive to continually enhance our programs.
Wishing your daughter continued success in her swimming journey!
Best regards,
Charmaine
Huge group size, not enough safeguarding for young beginners
I spoke on telephone regarding my 4 year old being very uncomfortable in water wanting to book a younger group until she was more confident. I went to pool and spoke with the manager too who assured me they look after the newbies and was a small group on that particular morning. Got there she was given only a pool noodle and told to kick her legs to half way down the pool, she slipped off the noodle ( never used one before ) dunked herself, two in the pool and a lifeguard watching both lessons at one. No one near her. The assistant got to her and another little girl sobbing and took them to the pool side where they sat shivering with watering cans. Must have been 20-25 kids in that group at varying stages. I feel that this is totally unsafe and I have no confidence in taking her back.
Lesson ended and no one brought her back or spoke to me regarding best way forwards. I asked at desk on way home and emailed instructer offering to pay for one to ones for now, to be told she’ll get used to it, just bring her to the lessons.
Would not recommend to anyone with a beginner.
September 14, 2024
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Dear Rebecca,
I hope this message finds you well.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for taking the time to provide us with your feedback.
It is with great regret that I learned about the negative experience your daughter had during her swimming lessons at the Ulverston Leisure Centre. Our team of instructors undergo rigorous training to ensure that they provide exceptional teaching and care to every student. I am truly sorry that you feel this standard was not met in your daughter's case. I will pass on your feedback to the attention of the facility manager so they can look into the concerns you raised.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Excellent and helpful staff
Swimming facilities and staff in Ulverston are excellent and helpful. They also helped me with the issues on the Better software system, which doesn't delete my past account and therefore prevented me from using the App booking system. This really should be addressed, to prevent clients having to get assistance on site.
August 6, 2024
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Good afternoon, Elizabeth,
We wish to express our gratitude for your feedback.
We are pleased to learn of your positive experience with the exceptional amenities and staff at Ulverston Leisure Centre. We regret the inconvenience you encountered while accessing the online platform due to your email details being linked to an old membership. However, our staff members at the centre are fully equipped to address such issues as they arise. Please note that our customers can utilise their membership number to access their online profile if their email is associated with multiple profiles. This measure is designed to mitigate challenges relating to logging into the online platform when one's email is linked to more than one membership in our system.
We hope you continue to enjoy your membership at the Ulverston Leisure Centre.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Non-transparent 20 day cancellation notice
Better.org that has a monopoly on all local leisure centres, this also includes baby and toddler swimming classes. I signed my son up for swim classes, he was four months at the time. Unfortunately his sleeping patterns changed which meant I was unable to attend the swim classes I wanted to pause the swim classes and just take him to the children's pool as when as it was more flexible. When I attempted to cancel and provided the reason they said they would have to take another payment as I had not provided a 20 day notice period. I asked if that money could be used to for the pool instead as it was impossible to get him to the classes at any of the times as his sleeping schedule has become unpredictable and they said unless he has an injury or illness which would have to be verified, I would be unable to pause. Now as better.org run all the local leisure centres (my local is brittania), there are no alternatives, which allows them to continue with sub-par service. Their site is very clunky, when they cancel your classes, the replacement process is very long winded . They have no interest in serving the community and it's a shame that something that should be flexible it extremely rigid. With youth centres closing and less safe green spaces, leisure centres provide an alternative for parents which comes at a great cost, as it isn't cheap, and not accessible to all. If you are on low income you can attend but there a lot stipulations as to which classes you can attend and they tend to be cancelled quite frequently.
I want this to be highlighted as leisure centres needs to be accessible to all, everyone should be prioritised irrespective of your income status and they need to be inline with what other sports organisations now have in terms of cancellations. How do we encourage people to be more active if the leisure centres we have are so inflexible and unhelpful. Now the staff at brittania leisure centre are lovely. It is the customer service and organisation itself, which is a social enterprise.
July 18, 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Denise,
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry you are unhappy with the cancellation policy.
We have emailed you privately in-depth and escalated your complaint through our complaints procedure to its conclusion.
Whilst we understand your frustration, when you sign up to a membership with us you have to agree to our terms and conditions - in this our cancellation policy is covered thoroughly (I include this below):
5.8 You can cancel your Monthly Membership with Us Yourself via the Better Customer Portal or Better UK App by selecting ‘My Account’ then ‘Memberships’ then ‘Manage Membership’ then ‘Cancel Membership’ You will need to provide a minimum of 20 calendar days’ notice before Your next DD date to prevent further DD payment collection.
5.9 You can cancel Your Monthly Membership by emailing customerservices@GLL.ORG or by sending a letter to GLL at our registered address clearly marked “Membership Cancellation”. You will need to provide a minimum of one calendar months’ notice before Your next DD date to prevent further DD payment collection.
5.10 All cancellations made prior to the relevant Cut Off Dates of either 20 days or 1 month will be effective prior to the date the next DD collection is due and no further DD collection will be made. Cancellations received after the relevant Cut Off Dates will result in one final DD being collected on the next DD due date.
We appreciate your feedback.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Was told wrong hours for weekend
Was told wrong hours for weekend. Don’t like facing the wall on bike. First time in a gym.
May 10, 2024
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Jawilkinson
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry to see you have been given the wrong hours. Please see the details below for off-peak membership access
Monday - Friday 09.00 to 16.00, Saturday and Sunday after 13.00, this can also be found on our website.
The layout of the bikes and cardio equipment is designed to give members ample space to move and exercise comfortably.
We hope you can enjoy your time at our centre moving forward.
Kind Regards
Amir
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your review.
We are so glad to hear you are happy with the joining process and that you found our staff to be helpful.
Warm Regards
Hazal
I have had a great experience overall…
I have had a great experience overall but have been unable to get on to any of the palates classes. Always booked in advance!
December 20, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Mac,
Thank you for your review.
We are glad to hear you are enjoying Ulverston Leisure Centre.
In regards to the classes, as a member, you have access to 7 days advance booking and slots open at 10pm 7 days prior.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Sensible swimming
I like the way that the sessions are set up with separate lanes for different ability swimmers. I also like the early morning timings as these allow me to swim early then the rest of the day is available to me.
October 13, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review,
We are very pleased to see our Swimming lessons receive some lovely feedback.
We hope you continue to enjoy your time at our Centre,
Regards
Amir
Felt really safe
I explained to the guy on the reception desk that I am recovering from spinal surgery. My surgeon told me that walking in the pool would help to rebuild the strength in my muscles. The guy on reception explained where the changing rooms were, and by the time I went to get in the pool, he had informed the lifeguard of my situation. (I have never understood why people just walk in a swimming pool previously!) I have been today for the second time, and again, really enjoyed it. I felt very safe despite my problems.
September 4, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Sue
Thank you for leaving a review.
We are very proud to hear about our staff and the things they do to help.
I will pass your review on to the Centre Manager.
We wish you a speedy recovery and hope you continue to enjoy our Centre.
Kind Regards
Amir
Brilliant Ulverston Leisure Centre
Ann conducted my wife's gym induction thoroughly, patiently and professionally. We were made to feel very welcome at the Ulverston Leisure Centre.
August 9, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi Mrs Foxton,
Thank you for your review.
We are happy to hear that your wife enjoyed her induction with Ann and will feed this back to the centre.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Yet another cancelled lesson
Yet another cancelled lesson, thats 2 out of 4 now. Direct debit wasnt amended and charged the full block
July 22, 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Hi,
Thank you for your review.
I have sent you a find reviewer request so I can hopefully assist you.
Warm Regards
Hazal
Helpful and friendly
Great leisure centre and helpful friendly staff.
It’s a small centre which is great for me, not intimidating when I’ve not been to one in years. The gym is well spaced out and light and airy.
I am glad I joined.
July 5, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Good Afternoon Michelle,
Thank you for your review.
We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying the Ulverston leisure centre since joining and we are also happy to hear that you do not find this intimidating so are able to enjoy your activities. We hope you can continue to enjoy utilising this centre and the wide range of activities we provide for all ages and abilities.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Only on lesson 2 and its been…
Only on lesson 2 and its been cancelled, not good when you already had a nervous little girl who had been excited about her lesson
June 30, 2023
Reply from Better - Ulverston Leisure Centre
Good Morning Laura,
Thank you for your review.
I am very sorry to hear that your daughter's second swimming lesson was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Unfortunately, sometimes an Instructor will be ill or it may be an incident in the pool which will require the pool to be closed and swimming lessons cancelled. Your child's membership will be credited in these circumstances so you are not charged for the cancelled lesson and this will appear as a credit on your child's membership.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused during this time.
Kind regards,
Charmaine
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