Phoenix Fitness Centre and Janet Adegoke Swimming Pool

I am extremely disappointed with our experience at this Better centre. What should have been my 5-year-old son's very first swimming lesson turned into one of the most frightening experiences we've ever had. During his lesson, my son became submerged underwater, was unable to turn himself over, swallowed pool water and was struggling to breathe. By the time he was noticed and pulled from the water, he was coughing, crying and clearly distressed. As a parent, it is impossible to describe how terrifying it is to witness your child in that situation. What I cannot understand is how this happened while three members of staff were either in or supervising the preschool pool. Parents are instructed to watch from behind the viewing window because we are expected to trust that our children are being supervised by trained staff. That trust has been completely shattered. Following the incident, my son complained of a stomach ache after swallowing the pool water and has since become extremely upset whenever he talks about what happened. He has broken down in tears several times and what should have been a positive first swimming lesson has instead left him frightened and traumatised. To make matters worse, I have had to chase for basic information, including the names of the staff involved, and have still not received a response. When I attended the centre, I was also told that the CCTV system could not be accessed because the password had been changed, which raises further concerns about how serious incidents are investigated. I have now submitted a formal complaint and requested that all CCTV footage be preserved while a full investigation takes place. I sincerely hope Better treats this as the serious safeguarding matter it is and takes meaningful action to ensure that no other family has to experience what we have. At this stage, I am deeply disappointed by both the incident itself and the way it has been handled so far. If you care for your child take them elsewhere.

· via Google

I started as a complete beginner with zero swimming experience, and after only 9 lessons I already feel much more confident in the water. I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made so far. Special thanks to Uniqe and Anna for being patient, supportive, and professional instructors. They explain everything clearly, make lessons enjoyable, and create a comfortable atmosphere for learning. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn swimming from scratch!

· via Google

The last time I visited this place was some years ago. Upon my recent return, I was very surprised. The centre has had a makeover. It is very clean and more welcoming than before. The staff are friendly and helpful too. I would recommend this centre for the pool , gym, badminton court and cleanliness.

· via Google

The worst swimming pool I've visited in living memory. Full of strange, intimidating men who give you dirty looks when you're trying to swim. One of them spent a good 45 minutes lingering at the end of the pool, spreading his arms out and treating the poolside like his armrest as he gave me and other swimmers the death stare. At no point did he swim. It was a very obvious ploy by him to make others in the lane feel very uncomfortable in the hope we would all get out. There was also a bloke swimming in one of the other lanes in a t-shirt. Absolutely disgusting and unhygienic. It was a boiling hot summer's day, so I dread to think how much sweat and bodily fluids seeped into the pool from his shirt. Meanwhile, the lifeguards blithely sat by and let him swim in his clothing without saying a word to him. Has the world gone completely mad? I'll be sure to don a shirt and trousers for my next swim.

· via Google