Handsworth Wellbeing Centre

Negative experience: Dirty wee everywhere wet on the floor people don’t flush the toilet

Negative experience: Very difficult communication issues at the reception desk. It is not the first time either in my entire experience. This has happened today: It has never happened before where you’re asked to leave the facilities with your belongings (as in take all of your belongings from lockers and the ‘wet area’ and wait for 45 mins before the next session for the new service starts, (where you are not given a ticket for the service you also want to use - when you first came in for another service and intending to use the second one after) from the beginning) where it has already been explained that it’s fine to not wait there in changing rooms etc, and happy to come out and get a ticket and wait. Now, I’ve tried to explain that I have come out and happy to wait for the new service , however, to avoid the queues it would be helpful to get a ticket in advance (as earlier requested) to not have to queue by the busy doors and opening of them (whilst wet). I have then had a lady repeat herself many times to explain that I cannot be waiting around in wet areas - as we can see, this was previously understood and acted upon. Then a new member is staff comes to stress the importance of asking me to wait and take a seat in the orange seated further corner - which is fine. I let the lady know that I had a disability that needed space from people in close proximity. She says she understood, then asked me where my other belongings were. I told her my bag is in the locker where I am going again with the ticket for the next service… When the other lady intervened and asked and stated that I should come out of that are and not wait there. I showed her my phone and my valuables in hand and I was clothed and wearing a coat… I asked her if ‘out’ meant outside the building? Clearly, I am outside the facilities area and there was no intention to go back in before the start of the new sessions. So, I’m considering cancelling my monthly subscription because it’s not worth the stress of this miscommunication or bad feelings. As I said before, this has never happened before in any given day of all the time I have ever had this card, which is quite some time. The other staff around the centre are very friendly and helpful, cheerful etc. I’m not entirely sure why they are being so difficult and making people wait until a few minutes before to get a ticket. Please note, at the time of writing this, there are people waiting in the ‘wet area’ of changing rooms and there most likely is cleaning going on.. and that may be the reason for the rule (which has been clearly understood). I said to the second staff member at reception, that I do have a disability. I told her what it was. I told her the way my experience has been managed is making me feel as though I also have a mental impairment and lack of comprehension for sentences using the English language. The worst part is, it’s a girl that looks and could be someone easily from my own heritage and the chances are we even speak the same mother tongue. Talking through thick plastic also whilst I’m wearing protective ear plugs for ears - medical devices with all sorts of noises surrounding me and the multiple conversations behind glass is somewhat distressing- I have tried to explain. I don’t think that I have been understood. And, I continue to wait in the cold reception area, looking forward to using services I pay for.

Fantastic experience: nice place

Positive experience: New to gym most of u mentioned the black lady if it was the same one I had for my induction first impressions very rude I'm a salesman and get on well with people after 5 minutes with her what a lovely lady she turned out to be:) I can't complain as membership is free.

Positive experience: Decent little leisure centre. Swimming changing rooms need a good clean though!

Fantastic experience: Perfect, a lot of free activity.

Fantastic experience: A good place to do some sports, comfortable and located in a large and wonderful garden.

Fantastic experience: Good place

Negative experience: First and last time going to this so called leisure centre. Unorganised and poor attitude from staff. Booked a badminton court took payment over the phone got there got on the court which I booked and got evicted by 3 different members of the community as they booked. Questioned this to the receptionist and she never had a clue what was happening and told me to go on to another court which is empty without checking to see if it has already been booked. But unfortunately I got evicted off that court too. Questioned this to the staff and they tried offering a later time of the evening or another date. Being the first time I went there and experienced this I weren’t to keen and requested a refunded. The only good outcome of this was they were more than happy to issue a refund. Not happy at all.

Fantastic experience: I have just joint the ladies gym and ivy has been brilliant she always has and smile on her face and is always willing to help when needed also Jeanette is really nice and if ur struggling with the equipment she comes and helps reception staff the black tall lady is very rude has no customer service skills whatsoever otherwise everyone else is really good

Positive experience: Handsworth leisure centre is my all time favourite Centre. I've been coming here since I was at school(many years ago) I especially love the pool but they have something for everyone. Only complaint is ladies toilet needs some tending too..otherwise facilities are generally ok..hence the 4 stars and not 5.

Fantastic experience: The deeper water was nice and it was fun

Positive experience: Its nice and cleaning space.Personal is nice too.Just toilet be better if is all 3 working because 2 is broken and some lock in change room is broken.But its not big problem.We visit the swimming pool again with kids.

Positive experience: Swimming pool experience. I will not hesitate to go over there once again. Most of the reviews are wrong. The place is clean and staff members are doing their job. Just be aware that you will need £1 to use your locker, basic mechanism after opening your locker your coin is dropping down.

Positive experience: This is my 1st time visited this place

Negative experience: Bankrupt council and their useless staff never pick up phone.

Positive experience: It does what it says on the tin. Can't really complain, I have no issues with the place

Fantastic experience: Great facilities, great staff.... Could do with more Vending machines for drinks and quick snacks.

Negative experience: The place is okay but the one of staff member very rude behaved with me today i dont wanna go there anymore .

Negative experience: Every where dirty, toilets smell discusting,like never no body clean.I would scare to take my trainers off to use this changing room or shower next to swiming pool. Gym very small ,not many enquaries , i come first time, and turnd straight to go out. Never go again.

Fantastic experience: A very beautiful place to be. Essential gym equipments and very happy to help gym instructors. The experience is worth going back everyday. You want to swim, bicycle, hang long and safe walks and have other recreational fun activities, I recommend Handsworth Wellbeing Centre!! Cheers!

Positive experience: This place is OK but find some of the staff rude and unhelpful

Fantastic experience: This place feels like home whenever I am stressed, the gym and swimming club is my best

Negative experience: This was a horrible experience never come here.When I went in the swimming pool I left my bags in the changing room and when i finished swimming and came into the changing room my glasses were broken and my card was stolen and a transaction had been made when I asked reception to check the outside cameras they said there was none even though I saw a camera.Please do not waste your time or money and come here.

Negative experience: I have has a horrible experience I have had my sisters glasses smashed and my debut card stolen

Negative experience: Dirty unorganised rubbish gym for the price they charge staff could go with some customer service training

Positive experience: Good service from staff and main instructor Ivy. I received well guidance. Equipment was quite old but very well kept hygiene was up to

Fantastic experience: Handsworth gym is family friendly they help you to achieve your goals the staff's are outstanding because when I started my journey of losing weight I have lots of support ivy she is amazing she help older people ❤ the gym is one in a million keep up the good work guys you are 1 in a million

Negative experience: WHEN OVER THERE DONT LOOK CLEAN AT ALL THAT PLACE IS FOR ELDER PEOPLE FEEL LAST TIME VISITING THAT PLACE FEEL I AM IN A NURSING HOME

Positive experience: I attend the early morning adult swimming sessions. The staff have been friendly and helpful every time. The lifeguards at poolside have been incredible in making me feel welcome and confident as a beginning swimmer.

Positive experience: I use the centre quite often. Lovely staff. Hard workers.

Negative experience: The lady at reception was so rude very unprofessional not helpful at all had bad attitude problem. "She needs a chill"

Positive experience: Not the place it once was, it has gone down the drain

Positive experience: Very, very warm inside!but everything fine!

Negative experience: It would definitely help if the member of staff spoke and understood English better

Negative experience: On my doorstep but I never go there. Staff act like they are being forced to be there. As many have said customer service is poor women at reception always miserable as a black woman does nothing for the stereotype we get of 'angry black woman'. Be active swimming a mess been made to wait untill after 3 to even get served with long queues poor and needs a total overhaul of staff and facilities. Wouldnt even use it even though its free. There's something called self respect Much rather travel outwards to get better service

Negative experience: One of the receptionist was so rude. They way she spoke to me was unprofessional. I felt intimidated by the receptionist who issued me The ticket. This was a female receptionist.

Negative experience: Words can not describe

Negative experience: The lady at the reception was so rude she literally ruined my day how a lady like this can receives customers

Positive experience: The Zumba classes they had were the best in Birmingham.

Negative experience: VERY DIRTY. Cleaning is a foreign concept to the management of this centre. The shower cubicles, toilets, floor, steam room, lockers-everything is dirty. The centre should be closed for at LEAST 2 days and deep cleaning is performed, which then should be maintained. I paid £9.50 to use the steam room, but left without using it-the place was too dirty. I did not want to catch ringworm, etc.

Fantastic experience: I have always found this place to be great. The staff go out of the way to deal with any matter concerned. Looking forward to when the pool is back up and running. A great bunch of life guards.

Fantastic experience: If you like a spin class.... then get your bum over to this place every Saturday and Sunday morning.... and allow Steve to show you how it's done. This man is possibly the best spin instructor in the UK. Be prepared to work hard and leave... drenched.

Fantastic experience: I go to play badminton every Wednesday. It's a well maintained facility.

Negative experience: great gym with terrible staff and very bad customer service and a lack of professionalism and there is currently and ongoing petition against the staff. This is meant to be a wellbeing centre and they do not care about anyone's wellbeing. they must be stressed from their unhappy lives and let it out on us customers. I suffer from mental health and thought that this place would give me comfort and peace however get the opposite! They have a threatening attitude and do not know how to speak properly. There are some who are nice however the 3 receptionist are extremely rude as well as the security guards. what is being done about this, have you seen all of the reviews, everyone complains and what is the council is doing about this.

Positive experience: I love this place. It just needs some TLC

Positive experience: The water is good but the big pool is taking way to long to open

Fantastic experience: Take the students swimming every week & they love it. It's clean & tidy & staff are friendly.

Positive experience: Since the start of this year 2022 ,No access to adults swimming pool..and the rude receptionists don't know when will it reopen.

Negative experience: Dirty place never go back .big mistake in my life to go there

Fantastic experience: Nice place for swimming . Only for Council tax payers of Birmingham City Council!

Fantastic experience: Great place for daily activitie plans

Positive experience: The woman at the desk is scary

Positive experience: 2.75/5

Positive experience: Lovely seeing old faces again , back as my Gym Gmac is shut only a temporary visit. Well worth it

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff good place to swim for adults and kids and plenty of other activities to do

Positive experience: Good only because its free. Stuff are bit unhelpful.

Negative experience: Absolutely awful staff. No service skills what so ever.

Positive experience: Nice local place to swim or play badminton during school p.e. sessions includes a vending machine for sweets and hot drinks

Positive experience: Good gym facility, large pool is down for a while now, the receptionists were very kind however one pool colleague was incredibly rude. They have classes and badminton and also do be active free sessions. Parking is available. The facility could be cleaner especially the showers and changing rooms. The temperature of the shallow pool was just right however the large pool was always very very cold.

Fantastic experience: Really good activities for kids swimming, football, karate and at reasonable price

Positive experience: Adequate sports halls which is very rough.

Fantastic experience: Brilliant customer service.. I like the atmosphere

Negative experience: There was a black lady on the desk, very rude and unfriendly. How can they have staff like that?? ..Very uneducated, please give her some training or change her role

Positive experience: nice local place plenty to get stuck into. facilities a bit dated and worn, not cheap if going regularly.

Fantastic experience: Yvonne was very helpful and showed us excellent customer service, thank you

Positive experience: Parking is good. The Steel Pulse Handsworth Revolution mural looks great. The staff are ok. There are 4 badminton courts with a reasonable space around them. Whilst it is a bit dated and dull the atmosphere makes up for that. The lighting takes time to get used to so be prepared. The other groups playing were friendly.

Negative experience: As the local leisure centre, this really need improving. It's a place where alot of people attend however the service and the facilties is poor. Its been going downhill for a very long time and even more. Not sure whether it's because bham council is broke. The staff can come across very rude as I have witnessed them speaking down to few women who were in the changing room. Its as if they are being forced to work there. I feel like the place needs an uplift of new staff as the ones working there hard dragging the place down even further. They look bitter. Sad to say. All the vending machines are broken or out of order. Doors are missing from the shower cubicles so it's been replaced with a shower curtain which isn't very hygienic. One thing I'm very passionate about is swimming and I only attend that one day for ladies. There is never a lane swim or a moment that is free from sharing (school) so it's real hard to get good lengths in. I wish they could an hour in the evening so its more of a quality of a swim for more of the serious swimmers. Currently the place is so unreliable, that you would have to call on evert Wednesday to see if swimming is on. Because either there is no staff or something isn't working. And on top, they never answer the phone. Most of the time, the pool isn't operating. Just so disappointing.

Fantastic experience: Book online for everything from home using computer or phone

Positive experience: Went to renew childrens passport to leisure phoned beforehand was told exactly what relevant documents needed so visit wasn't long clear markings inside building staff able to help straight away

Positive experience: Joined B Active plus scheme. Enjoyed seated exercise & 50+ aerobics for ladies.

Fantastic experience: I love the swimming pool so much.

Fantastic experience: Best gym in area

Negative experience: Lovely leisure centre, brilliant lifeguards however the 3 black female staff (not including the physio instructor who is ever so pleasant) require advanced training on good customer services. They are rude, disrespectful, abrupt, and show little regard or empathy to the public whilst doing their job. They let not only themselves down but also the good works of the staff team.

Negative experience: Very very disappointed

Positive experience: Standard council facilities. Parking available

Negative experience: Handsworth Poll and well being centre toilet is absolutely disgusting. Too old and completely out dated. Must very soon updated. Staff are nice polite and friendly and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Excellent service.

Fantastic experience: Can I just Plz know from what age can u join the gym in the lesure centre

Fantastic experience: The best gym ever ❤️

Negative experience: Place are good with all facilities. But reception staff are too rude. They are look like unhappy to see customers.

Fantastic experience: Loads of parking

Fantastic experience: Great for families you get all the help you need

Fantastic experience: Great leisure centre has amazing facilties

Positive experience: I went for a swim and checked the timetable which stated from 3 till 4 so I went and lo and behold was met with the most unprofessional Afro Caribbean lady at reception. Who told me I needed to be out by 3.30. I swam and got out at 3.30, and went and sat in my car in the car park on my phone. The people who were in the pool at the same time as I was all came out of the centre between 3.50 and 3.55. So no time limit on them. I haven’t used this centre for more than 20 years solely due to the very bad and rude attitude of the staff. I didn’t have any problems on my first visit but this time it was very harrowing and it’s really put me off from going. If you don’t like your job then don’t do it, there might be some credence to some people’s assertions that this woman might indeed be a racist.

Fantastic experience: It is a good leisure centre with a gym, fitness classes which include Zumba. They have two good size swimming pools. You also have the opportunity to play sports like Badminton. The staff are friendly.

Fantastic experience: All the machines you could need for a full body workout.

Negative experience: Staff rude, rude, rude! They look like they really hate their jobs. The black woman at the front desk has a face like an iceberg. It is actually possible to say good morning to her face, and for her to look straight through you without blinking. She never seems to have an off day from being miserable! 2 words lady: customer & service! Without customers, you'd be out of work and at home watching daytime television. Shocking and unnecessary. This also goes for the equally rude white guy with the glasses. 0 stars for the Staff but nice gym with a friendly bunch of guys who go there.

Fantastic experience: Is free and helpful with one o one sections

Fantastic experience: Love training here.

Negative experience: Need to clean changing rooms

Positive experience: It's s nice place to work out and keep fit. An onsite healthy cafe would be great. But there is only a crisps and chocolate vending machine. Also has a swimming pool. The equipment could be better, everything needs updating. But it's free so you can't complain. Most of the staff are polite and helpful, some are friendly. Good variety of classes. I have never used it but there is a sauna and steam room which has been out of order for several weeks. There are paid classes too. And swimming lessons. A lovely mural of Steel.Pulse album Handsworth revolution is worth the visit. Big up.to the artist's.

Fantastic experience: brilliant council run leisure centre. Providing most leisure services (but we used just swimming pool) Swimming pool is excellent (shallow pool is very big for all children) Deep pool only for adults or children over 16yrs old. Do check their website for further info on leisure centre services..

Negative experience: ok

Positive experience: Not too busy on a sunday

Negative experience: The black lady on the reception is very rude. Didn't speak to me & my wife in well manner. Wanted to join the centre but I would happily spend my hard earned money to a professional private gym. This place reflects government services are going down in this country.

Negative experience: Black woman RECEPTIONIST middle aged : =Bad attitude , Always speaks like an angry Robot and =possibly, a Racist ? =I guess, she is Extra Rude if you are not a UK born. =Xenophobic =tired of job and tired of visitors . Please complain to the Manager in the office attached (like i did) if she is Rude with you, as well.

Positive experience: GREAT PLACE, MMA IS CLOSED & THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY

Fantastic experience: Very good for the community and has good facilities

Positive experience: It a nice place to go swimming... can get busy at times but overall a nice place to swim