Better - Parkside Pool & Gym Omdömen 

Excellent service with Steve processing my GP referral. Staff on the desk, however, were very vague about processes prior to setting up this referral and were not clear about how things work when you finish the referral programme.

Better have a cancellation policy of four hours for members, but Better can cancel a class with less than one hours notice. This seems unfair. Better also suspend your ability to book any further activities until the fee is paid. Also the wording they use in the automatic email is harsh. If you cancel because of illness, and then receive such a harshly worded email, it is upsetting. I called Better to explain this, but the person just referred me to Better’s Terms and Conditions. I then wrote an email to Better to explain this. They initially tried to say that it was resolved because they had cancelled the fee. I explained it was how they treated members in relation to cancellations. I was told, in so many words, they were not willing to address any of it.

Right - listen up Parkside Pools and take this seriously.

I was subjected to the most absolutely appalling treatment by the staff and fellow swimmers so let me spill this out and give you some context.

So - I went for a midday pre Christmas swim when two girls named Esme and her friend decide to mimick the word 'Hello' every time I went past them doing a length - I said it back just to be friendly and got talking about Christmas and the holidays.

Not 5 minutes later - I got pulled aside by one of the lifeguards who informed me that I was speaking to children and making them feel uncomfortable - it needs to be avoided.

As you would of guessed - it pissed me off big time and my blood started boiling that I was unable to stay in the pool any longer to finish my swim.

What made it worse was they knew exactly what they were doing and let me tell you - false accusations like that have serious consequences that ruin people's lives and it really isn't funny even if it is meant as a joke.

I gave my version of events to the lifeguards so they heard it from me and rather than sorting out the appriopriate course of action - it was brushed under the carpet.

To the parents of Esme and her friend.
I hope you sit them down- give them a good kick up the backside and start teaching them that it really isn't acceptable to go round grassing people up on no solid concrete evidence to back up claims just because you two were absolutely fine having a normal conversation.

To the management and the lifeguards.
I get that its a situation no one wants to be in and you really need to stop becoming so offended by normal reactions and start to man up and take customer complaints seriously.

I normally let things slide but if this happens again - I'll be making sure everyone knows exactly how its run and how paying customers get treated and don't think for a second I won't.

You'll find my contact details in your system and I want a formal apology in writing or I won't be setting foot in that pool again.

Understood?

I am very happy with my trainer and with everything he has put me to do exercises he is working very well for my knee problems.

Amazing well equipped gym

The staff is very friendly and helpful. The facilities are in good condition. It's a great place for family swimming activities.

I am swimming for a charity challenge this March and I found that at the parkside pools I am looked after, I am able and supported to reach my goal at its facilities. Amazing!

The gym offers great value for money and the facilities are good and close to where I live. Reception have been very helpful and the app is easy to use

Have been with them for a few month. My son was quite confident swimmer for his level in another swimming pool. The Better swimming pool was very noisy and he couldn't understand what teacher talking to him. Then they reduced his level. But another teacher in lower level was just sitting and telling what to do which didn't work at all. She told us my son has to watch swimming on TV and learn how to swim (instead of stand up and explain).
That was very rude and huge disappointment.
Of course I couldn't make my son to go for another lesson.
We tried Elite Swimming Academy and my son was good, confident and happy again! The coach was wonderful. He was in the swimming pool with kids, showed all techniques and it worked very well!
Then maybe Better works for some kids but coach could at least to try to explain instead of suggesting TV.
Now with cancellation policy I have to lost last month payment. But it still better that punished my son to go there to be treated with huge disrespect and make him to lost his confidence.
Parkside Pools and Gym, CB1 1LY, Saturday morning swimming lessons.

I did not think I would feel comfortable and welcome at the gym, but between the support I've gotten from the Healthwise GP referral scheme, and the community atmosphere at Parkside, I look forward to the days in my week when I go.

I enjoy my new swimming routine and I think the Swim membership is good value for money. I like that I can book a place for swimming (Swim for fitness).
I am not sure if people are being let into the pool anyway without booking, because it seems that all the lanes are always full, even if the app claims that there are still many places left. So, from the online booking it's not really possible to find out whether it's a busy time or not.
I found that at Parkside Cambridge half of the male changing cubicles have a broken locking mechanism, and it would be nice if this could be fixed. Cleanliness of the facilities seems rather good.
When using the Better App, what I am missing is an easier way to see my booked sessions, at the top level when opening the app. I think I need to go first into my account and then find the entry for booked sessions a few steps down. Otherwise all good.

Loving being part of Better. The gym and fitness class staff are great and definitely worth what I'm paying.

The gym was well stocked with equipment which was easily accessed.
The pool was not too busy which meant I could easily do lengths of the pool.
Overall a very pleasant experience.

Instruments are pretty decent but The toilets and other spaces are very unclean at my GYM.

Ok for leisure, or if you are looking for pool access. Gym is only basic, opening hours restricting, limited free weights. Not worth the cost.

The machines at our branch are old, out of date and often do not work.