Clapham Leisure Centre - Active Lambeth - London

Adrian T.

Gut geführt und organisiert!

Malgorzata Z.

I used to go to Better in Swiss Cottage to swim and that was a really nice pool. After moving south I looked for local pools and found Clapham Leisure Centre that used to be owned by Better but is now Active Lambeth. The pool facilities could be nice if it wasn’t for the lack of cleanliness. On the changing rooms, showers and the pool itself it is not uncommon to see clumps of hair, plasters, general dirt. I’ve seen the employees clean the poolside by pushing the dirt around with a power washer in random directions. Then I stopped going to the pool for that reason and started attending classes and the gym facilities. The classes are decent I think no one expects them to be anything more than basic for the price point. The styles really vary depending on the instructor. Would be nice if there was a choice in more aerobic classes like Zumba or HIIT, dance. I’ve not attended the gym much but it has a lot of equipment and free weights, when I went in the female changing rooms they seemed quite clean. Bathrooms almost never have soap in them and the entry gates have been broken for months.

Clare P.

I’m not surprised by the negative reviews. The gym floor is small and overcrowded, I’ve never once seen anyone cleaning the equipment and certain machines stay out of service for months at a time.

The pool is constantly full of kids so the cleanliness is poor, the last time I swam the pool fitting room I was in had blood stains and smears all over the walls, I moved to a new changing room that then had a clump of hair on the floor.

On top of that, the app is rubbish and front desk staff are often rude and moody. But overall I figured for Clapham, this is probably as cheap as it gets so what do you expect (not that £62 is even that cheap)

The worst part is I informed them I wished to cancel my subscription with 9 days until the next payment, and they point blank refused to cancel it. It’s hidden in the fine print that they require over 30 days notice, so you can cancel your subscription but they’ll still charge you an extra month. Zero empathy or helpfulness in the interaction. Legit worst gym experience I’ve ever had

Sylvia W.

I enjoy the gym and the fitness classes. Very friendly staff as well as the hard work of the cleaning staff and they are helpful
The reception staff do a very good job

What let’s them down is the lack of good quality yoga teachers There’s the same two women instructors who seem to have most of the classes in the week I cannot attend their classes because of the quality and instructions they give. I will only attend when these two have holidays because in place of them they will have a good quality instructor

P S.

The place has begun to dramatically fall apart in recent months. The men's gym changing rooms haven't been cleaned in months and it reeks of a backed-up drain.

The cleaning sign placed outside makes a nice prop, however. The strawberry lace on the wall and the protein shake stains on the lockers are also a nice touch.

The AC units have been turned off recently. Which is just as well, as the filters are visibly furry with dust.

Just getting in has become a chore - the QR code entry system and automated doors are perpetually broken. Enter, look like you belong there, and you'll be let in for free.

I don't have high expectations or demands. I go in, use my equipment, leave. But give it another few months and the gym will become a biohazard.

The quality trajectory is firmly downhill - for people looking for a gym at the time of this review, I recommend signing up elsewhere.

Steven F.

Due to weak management and invariably entitled and lazy staff, the whole gym is disgustingly filthy. I would go as far as calling the place a bio-hazard.

The men's gym changing rooms haven't been cleaned in months and it reeks of historical stains. The cleaning sign placed outside makes a nice prop, however, the stains on and inside the lockers are also a nice touch. The AC hasn't been working recently, which is just as well, as the filters are visibly furry with dust.

Getting in has become a chore - the QR code entry system and automated doors are perpetually broken. You may try to engage with the staff who are either glued to their mobiles or chatting amongst themselves and treat customers with the utmost contempt.

For people looking for a gym, I recommend signing up elsewhere.

Rendy O.

The place does the job.

Pros: Pretty sizeable gym area that seems to be well equipped. The adult pool has slow and fast lanes to swim laps, and the kids pool is not too deep and properly heated.

Cons: There's a lot of things that are falling apart. In the pool area, for example, the shower stalls are grimy and the doors rusty. There's no space to put soap/shampoo (so must be on the floor) and towels just get draped over the door. And if a parent is bringing a child, forget a family shower room - that doesn't exist. The stalls are too small for two and the outside ones are not warm. Because it's logistically impossible to leave a child unattended for the parent to shower, they're likely to just go home still covered in chlorine.

Jackson G.

Went here with my 3 year old. The front desk staff were confused about their own timetables and sent me to the wrong pool. After chatting with the lifeguards, I found where I was meant to be. We changed and showered. However, it turned out the pool was absolutely freezing. The lifeguards acknowledged this with a blasé attitude. One commented, "oh, it's way too cold in the pool for her." So, within ten minutes of arriving, we'd be sent to the wrong pool, then shown the correct pool only to discover that it was absolutely freezing. Apparently "it happens all the time" according to the lifeguard. So, sopping wet from the pre-shower and having a completed exactly zero swimming, we left. Very frustrating.