Swimming pools - always booked up.

[cantthinkofaname]

How does anybody manage a reasonably spontaneous swim at either Dulwich leisure centre or Forest Hill pools? The new online booking system says ?full, full, full? and you have to book over a week on advance. It didn?t used to be like this.

I wonder if it?s the same people just hogging all the slots. Or do you think it will relax a bit after Covid? I just feel really dismayed ? it?s not much of an incentive for new people to try and get fit in the area through swimming if there are simply no ways to do it. Feels like a former council service that has failed its community. If anyone has any tips, do share.

[JohnL]

Just had a look - website slow and lots of

"There was a problem in processing your request. Please contact your Leisure Centre/Club for further assistance."

Not sure their system is doing well.

[redpost]

Everyone active are totally useless, even more so during the pandemic.

They still have activities on their booking system which don't actually exist, I've complained a few times but nothing happens. Old pre-pandemic PDF timetables are still on the website. The website booking system is a confusing mess, no one answers the phone and they don't have a clue when you visit in person.

Hopefully, when lockdown ends, bookings won't be necessary and they will be back to their normal level of incompetence.

[Nigello]

Write to the managers of the branches and CC your councillor.

[Huggers]

you can book eight days in advance after 10pm . By 10.05pm everything is gone and I'm just talking about silver pilates!!

[cantthinkofaname]

8 days in advance at 10pm! Crikey. Yeah you?re right, that?s what I?ve found. And half the time it doesn?t even work.

What a shame, no it?s more than that; it feels like a total failure to the community.

Will write to councillors and manager and hopefully others do too.

[Pugwash]

We complained about the Leisure Centre's IT system last year and James Mccash advised that you could book at the centre if you did not have a computer. We told him that staff had refused to do this on several occasions previously.

Staff, like most of Southwark, automatically assume you have access to IT - talk about equality!!

[KalamityKel]

Perhaps try again after next Monday when people can do what ever they like *shrugs

[legalalien]

So:

(i)the Council decided and announced in March that it plans to insource the leisure centre contract when it ends in June 2023. https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s94286/Report%20Gateway%200%20-%20Appraisal%20of%20management%20options%20for%20leisure%20centres.pdf.

(ii) Due to impact of the pandemic, Southwark?s had to plough additional funds in to meet running costs, highly likely the contractor has been making no profit for months and won?t for the balance of the term.

(iii) in any outsourcing contact there?s a high risk of underperformance during an exit period and you need a really tightly drafted contract to give you ways of keeping the supplier motivated / penalising poor performance. We can?t see the contract but I doubt there are performance based incentives other than usage-based or share of income ones (and usage and income will be down due to COVID) or service credits for poor performance which would come off fees or income share ( but what if fees or income share aren?t being paid in this bail out situation - hard to know). The decision notice linked above doesn?t even identify poor service during the remaining period / exit period as a key risk of the insourcing option, which it is - particularly with a lead time as long as this.

Why would the supplier consider improving its IT system or service in this situation?

I wouldn?t expect an improvement any time soon.

[glenfruin]

Everyone Active membership currently is a joke.It is virtually impossible to get onto a class at Peckham Pulse.The system can not cope with huge waiting lists for each class I think easier to get a swim though.

People who are in running it day to day and front of house couldn?t care less. I recently asked for a name of whom I could complain to and wasn?t given one just fobbed off and given a general email. Some memberships pay an extra amount per month to get an extra weeks advantage of booking so instead of one week in advance they get two! Very sneaky! And obviously a blatant way to raise funds on top of current membership costs.

[Nigello]

👋 The app sent a message yesterday saying changes to the way E A operates are coming in. I hope it?ll mean an end to the booking system as it stands for swimming. I think some book and don?t turn up. This is selfish but predictable.

Write to the branch manager and CC your local councillor if you want to complain (or praise).

[bonaome]

Hopefully this will change with Everyone Active?s Step 4 changes on Monday.

The problem is people who book and then don?t turn up but don?t cancel.

It doesn?t seem to be a problem at many other centres.

At Dulwich, they need to a) do something about persistent offenders - if there are any and b) have a better system for opening up last minute spaces. E.g. could they not have a 10 min cut off for no-shows and then start letting people in on a first come first in basis?

@cantthinkofaname - if not too far to go, looking right now, there?s loads of bookable spots at The Castle Centre and Peckham Pulse today and over the next week, and loads of spots open at Camberwell all week, apart from today.

[paulu1973]

Never had an issue. I decided to get the platinum membership which allows me to book 14 days in advance - always slots available. Love it as I can now plan my swimming

[bettyorange]

I totally understand that centres have had to limit numbers during these weird times and i finally managed to book a swim at Brockwell lido and would like to go with the kids as we used to, but the family sessions are all booked up at least a week in advance and its not even the hols yet.

When i asked at the desk they said they are keeping the booking system after restrictions are lifted as they think its fairer!I cannot see how this is fair for anyone without a smart phone, anyone who justs fancies a swim that day, any kids who just want to meet up spontaneously and have a laugh because they are teenagers!any younger kids whose parents haven't downloaded the app and haven't got time to constantly watch the site for spaces when they go live!

Personally i feel this will turn the lido into an exclusive club instead fulfilling the needs of its local community.

Another public space lifted out of reach.

[NewWave]

My problem stems from trying to book on the Tuesday morning aqua class-I tried to book a week in advance at midnight and I was 20th in the queue -when I got up on The tuesday of the class I checked and was 3rd in the queue (waitlist)

I made plans for my morning (I work full time so having a Tuesday off is a rarity) and about 2 minuets before the class was due to commence happened to look at my emails and lo and behold there were spaces in the class..But by now it was too late for me to get to get my swim stuff together and go.

Its really frustrating that so many people book the moment the class becomes live on the app then cancel or dont turn up.

[redpost]

Looks like things should be back to normal from monday, copied from EE website:

Step 4 General COVID measures that we are undertaking from 19th July:

We are delighted to hear we?ve now reached Step 4 on the ?Roadmap to Reopening?. 2020 and 2021 so far have proven incredibly challenging for us all and has put things into perspective for many of us. As an industry and a business that has been hard hit by the pandemic, we are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from all our customers and local authority partners. Without you, we wouldn?t still be here striving to keep the nation active.

The latest government announcement is a welcomed message for us all and it means that as of the 19th July we will start to make some changes to the operation of our centres over the coming weeks. Please see below the changes you can expect:

Activity numbers will return to pre-covid numbers for all activities. Our booking systems will be automatically adjusted to reflect this

We may have moved activities and equipment to accommodate social distancing. In most cases, these will return to their original locations

As prior to the pandemic, gym members will now not be required to book their session before visiting the centre. However, the gym will remain bookable for ?pay as you go? and junior members via our app and website

Swimming sessions and most other activities should still be booked online and via the app

COVID one-way systems will be removed within all areas of our centres

Hand sanitiser will remain available in all our centres and we will continue with our increased cleaning regimes. Please continue to support us in maintaining a clean and safe environment for all

Changing rooms will be open for those that want to use them. We no longer advise that you arrive ready for your

activity

More than one person can now attend with a child for their swimming lessons

[rcf38]

Unfortunately not back to normal yet for the swimming pool I don't think - I was there yesterday and asked at the reception desk, and was told they would be keeping the extra-wide lanes and booking system (with number limits) for the time being. Shame! The woman at reception told me they are planning on reverting back to normal lanes at some point, but she didn't know when that would be.

[sarvester]

I tend to get on the bike and go to either brixton or glass mill in lewisham if I have the time, both are smashing pools and you can usually get a slot the day before (maybe a mistake to put this on here?!). I live really near Dulwich Leisure centre but gave up on that one a long while back to be honest as its like swimming in a traffic jam. Having said that, I sometimes check on the morning of the day for dulwich or camberwell and some have freed up - I'm not a member of either better or everyone active (unless you count the free swim and gym) and I think it probably is people with a paid membership booking up slots then sometimes releasing them on the day they were planning to go.

[Soylent Green]

How can you know if you might fancy a swim in 14 days' time? That is ridiculous. Fine for people who do a regular class, or like to stick to a regular timetable, but this is totally off-putting for anyone who fancies a bit of casual fitness.

[Nigello]

I agree. There is usually a hard-core of the same people, which is fair enough, but they'd be there anyway. I don't believe all bookers turn up every day. (I have booked and missed once, and felt bad, and got an email asking me to always turn up - fair enough.) Booking ahead for 2 weeks is not fair on those who want to go on a whim and goes totally against the idea of encouraging folk to exercise.

[andyg]

Went into peckham pulse today and they said the swimming pools were due to be back to normal on the 9th august and it would be much easier to get swimming after then. I assume it?s the same for dulwich.