Glass Mill Leisure Centre

Fantastic experience: Went swimming with my little boy who has austism all the staff members where helpful and friendly and facilities seemed very clean. Overall had a good experience and will definitely be going back. Thank you

Fantastic experience: Fabulous customer care and outstanding facilities

Positive experience: Glass Mill Leisure Centre in Lewisham is a great place to stay active, with modern facilities and a variety of options for everyone. Family friendly environment, pleasant staff and a great café! Will definitely be visiting again

Fantastic experience: Lovely place, great for a swim and a friendly place with my children.

Fantastic experience: Had the best time bringing the kids down for a swimming session on the weekend, had a very warm welcome by the staff who helped and assisted us with everything we needed. The facilities and building conditions was excellent and I felt really comfortable there with my 3 and 5 year old. 5 stars :)

Fantastic experience: Tom was very welcoming on reception. Clean modern facilities and easy to use mobile app. Would recommend!

Fantastic experience: Great centre, perfect location. Staff are always friendly. Seen a great improvement since the new company came. Female areas I use have also been clean

Negative experience: Do better

Fantastic experience: good gym

Negative experience: I thought all the horrible reviews must be fake so I had to see it myself to believe. Turns out it's not as bad as some make it out to be but it's not much better either, I've definitely not seen worse hygiene in a pool. The maintenance is clearly non-existent, most lockers lack locks or keys with wristbands. The swim for fitness schedule is diabolical, there was only one free lane available for at least 7 people of completely different abilities. I was really surprised to find that the hairdryers actually work so an additional star for that.

Negative experience: Overall my experience has been made great by the Healthwise team, especially at the Forest Hill site, they take to explain the use of equipment and show genuine interest in helping people to achieve their health goals. On the flip side I have been disappointed in the lack of cleanliness of the women changing room and showers in the swimming area at Glass Mill to the point where I will not be returning after my first and last experience. The sauna has bugs crawling on the floor ( I think it was a roach??) also the shower area has drain flies all over the walls where you can see the wall and floor tiles are filthy and wall tiles are hanging off the walls in the showers. The floor drains are blocked with hair and other bits so dirty water is stagnant. I don’t know how many times a day these areas are being cleaned but a review of the schedule, procedures, hourly checks of condition and what has been done must be reviewed and put in place. It’s an insult for paying customers to be expected to use such filthy conditions especially at one of Lewisham’s main centres. Glass Mill need to do the same as Forest Hill and Wavelengths which are kept clean and tidy by n site staff. I have complained about Glass Mill before and would like an update on the improvements in cleanliness made.

Negative experience: The standard membership for £42.75 a month (plus £12.50 setup fee) will give you a very small, not very well equipped gym (only one set of dumbbells, no fly machine, nothing for calfs) and classes that are often fully booked or cancelled. In addition, the leisure centre closes at 5pm on the weekend, and they play Smooth Radio all the time, with adverts every few minutes. In conclusion, I don't think it's worth the money.

Positive experience: Being to this leisure centre twice for some swimming competitions, organisation was good and the atmosphere was great too. Because the galas were during the weekend and needed to stay all day we parked on the Elmira street free of charge. The place got a coffee shop, near is a parc if you want some fresh air because inside is getting very warm with so many people in the building. Toilets (near the viewing area) not very well prepared for an event like this , toilet paper missing and two of them out of order. Overall we had a nice time here.

Negative experience: My children complained about the pool was too crowded and they were bumping into each other when they were trying to practice during their swimming lesson.

Negative experience: Sienna alto has only 2 fire exit and your beautiful cars blocking the backside fire exit door almost everyday but probably you don’t live in this building so you don’t care

Fantastic experience: Very impressed with the leisure centre. Booking a class using the Better UK app is super easy. I have attended a few group cycle classes and the various trainers were all excellent! The studio is a pleasant environment and the bikes are great. And the price of the classes is very reasonable.

Negative experience: Gross. Pull side, shower area and changing areas are disgusting. No cleaning routines in place. And why are lifeguards allowed to sit with earphones on? How is that attentive?

Positive experience: Good community vibe but cleanliness it's not their forte. Nor is customer service. Also a couple of staff are very rude. Unjustified high price. Shame.

Negative experience: Today I visited Glass Mill House for the first time in many years. The swimming pool was fine BUT hallways leading to the women’s & men’s changing room, steam room and disabled toilets were disgusting. Dirty unclean nasty areas. Clearly the cleaning is not a top priority as the floors have not been cleaned for many years. The place has totally gone down hill. Glass Mill use to provide plastic blue shower caps that you put over you’re outside shoes before walking into the changing room areas but looks like that has long gone as people wear their street footwear into those areas where swimmers walk bare feet. Nasty dirty disgusting. I overheard other females complaining about how dirty the woman’s changing rooms were while I was signing up for my membership yesterday. After using the pool at 6.30am this morning you would expect the place to be hosed down and cleaned first thing but everywhere was dirty including the disabled toilets. Which should have been cleaned last night at closing or first thing this morning no sign of cleaners anywhere. Even the steam room had hair on the floor. No such complaints for Wavelengths, which clearly the best cleaner option. I’m very disappointed. Avoid if you can!

Positive experience: Only attended function in the reception area, did not use facilities but all looks great.

Negative experience: I like the convenience of this gym, but they have to step up the hygiene of the gym. It is absolutely a disgrace especially the toilet in the female changing room. It constantly stinks and looks unhygienic. Since joining I have not seen the cleaner come and clean the toilet. There isn't even a timesheet has to when the cleaner clean the changing room/toilets. There has been complaints about it and nothing has been done. So the amount of money made through activities and memberships, the management cannot make the damn effort to have a regular cleaner and to have the changing rooms/toilets cleaned on a regular basis Iam even scared of using the shower or sauna/steam room. If they can't make an effort to clean, then can you imagine the sauna and steam room? They even have a 'health suite', which is non existence and is used as a storage for spinning bikes. This female health suite contains a steam room and sauna that are not in operation. What a bloody waste. If you want to come this gym bring an air freshener and antibacterial wipes, because you will definitely need both. The management team step it up because will be taking this further.

Fantastic experience: Great community resource. I swim here several days a week. It’s true the locker room could be better maintained but the local spirit and the lack of snobbery sets the gym out from every other around.

Negative experience: Subscribe only if you want 50% of a gym. The rest has been broken for months (photos taken on same day).

Fantastic experience: Very family friendly and open to everyone. Facilities are great, the swimming pool ceiling has natural light which is amazing. There's a sauna. And plenty of space in the change room.

Positive experience: I like the pay as you go element of the classes but the aircon hasn't worked in one of the studios for months, which makes it really unappealing when it's warm weather.

Positive experience: Good Better gym with nice facilities. Includes a normal gym, as well as a pool and fitness classes. The instructors are amazing, however it is quite difficult to find availabilities with certain classes, such as pilates or yoga. I haven’t personally tried the pool yet, but I have heard from other people who did, that it is not the cleanest Updated: The pool is nice, however, the changing and shower facilities are vile. The showers are dirty, with lots of hairs in the drain area, and god knowing what on the ground. The changing areas look gross overall, with anything from hair to chewing gums on the ground.

Negative experience: Went for a gym induction today. The guy doing the induction mumbled, didn't listen to anything I said (e.g. recommending the treadmill when I said I don't get on with treadmills, ignoring me when asked how to adjust the machines for my height), was generally rude and raised his voice at me when I asked him to explain how I was supposed to position myself on the machines, saying he'd already told me how (clearly he hadn't explained very well or I wouldn't be asking again). His recommendations were all very generic, skipped most of the equipment and were not particularly applicable to me. If I had paid the separate price for the induction instead of getting it free with a membership I would have asked for a refund as it was a waste of time.

Negative experience: Rubbish place. Rude pool lady attendant with glasses and brown hair. Most time absent. Book a swim lane and allowed to use only the front part as you many people in the lane. Would leave zero star but that’s no possible. Won’t be returning.

Negative experience: I have used this gym several times now and my membership dipped in and out. But one thing I can say is that the gym is poorly equipped and has a bad WiFi connection. As for the swimming pool, it's oversubscribed and the charging rooms are unclean. The worst of all are the toilets, 9 times out of 10 the toilets look in a terrible state and unclean. I'm struggling to recommend this gym.

Negative experience: There is a fitness instructor called Farida who is rude and nasty. I stay away due to her horrid behaviour and disgraceful, aggressive attitude. Always very confrontational and should not be in a customer facing role. Why she is an instructor is beyond me as she clearly doesn't like people!

Positive experience: It has everything, gym is good and not too many grunting muscle heads. Needs a good old massive deep clean though. Gyms pretty filthy

Negative experience: The customer announcements made to the whole Lewisham neighbourhood on a speaker and the constant fire alarms going off at any hours, including during the night? despite the neigbours asking this place to stop the nuisance - absurd and poor quality

Fantastic experience: I swim here regularly, really lovely pools, clean and good temperature. They run several Swim Doctor sessions each week and the swimming instructors here are all excellent and very friendly, highly recommended.

Positive experience: Car park was ok. Easy and very affordable, parked on a Saturday. But the lift was out of service which meant taking the slopes with a pushchairs and 2 other children. But very good location.

Positive experience: Used the pool here a few times now. The staff are fabulous and couldn’t be more helpful. Lots of reviews say the pool and changing rooms are dirty but I grew up in the 1970s so probably have different expectations. The changing rooms, showers and pool are all great. There are a few patches of mould on the pool walls in the corners but these are small and easy to avoid, the rest of the pool is very clean. The lockers are secure and refund your £1 and the showers are lovely and hot. Overall very good and because it’s run by a charity the pool prices are very reasonable indeed. Would recommend.

Positive experience: In comparison to other Better Leisure Centres, it was very expensive for me. Swim and sauna £15 (as I'm not a member there..) As an example, the same at Vauxhall is £3.20!! (Go figure that out!) The pool is lovely and light. The changing rooms OK - but no changing cubical.. All men together, I don't mind it, but most other Better pools seem to have private changing too. The Sauna ad Stramroom suit is OK, but nothing to write home about. Bizarrely, there's no cold shower. You have to walk across to the pool showers and use the disabled one! A cold shower is a MUST for a sauna suite. All told, I'll not bother going back. It's not special enough to justify the price.. I don't live in the borough, and also don't get a 60+ discount (also only for people from Lewisham..)

Negative experience: Overall the gym is good. Equipment is well maintained and not as dated as other Better gyms i’ve used. The staff are alway pleasant and offer a smile when you come in. However, the place is really unclean and bordering on filthy. The women changing rooms are always visibly dirty and i noticed the same biscuit on the floor for 4 days in a row, as well as a ketchup stain that has dried by the gym and has been left for over a week now. Such a shame as the gym is a good size but its really off putting as what else isn’t being cleaned! I previously brought it up with a member of staff and was told the lifeguard was meant to do it but hadn’t. Understand there may be staff shortages, but getting the lifeguard to clean doesn’t seem like a long term solution. Hope this gets solved soon!

Positive experience: As it was Sunday, it was busier but enough space to sit down on the sauna and steam room. The steam room is really effective. And both look very new. Cheaper than a spa weekend!!!

Positive experience: I like the place . It has a big area for the public to swim and access to the kids pool too . . Not enough plastic shoes to go around though and sometimes entrance gets crowded as passes don't work sometimes when arriving . Overall still an affordable place to swim with family and friends

Negative experience: I used to come regularly but am desperate to find a new clean pool to go to. The pool is oversubscribed with various classes, so the 'Swim for Fitness' session slots are hard to come by, and when you do manage to get a slot - the lanes are overcrowded with mixed ability swimmers. The hygiene in the pool is extremely poor - the showers are filthy, balls of hair everywhere, stink, FLIES! The toilets are not maintained - by evening time, after all the classes and clubs, the loos are filled with toilet paper. Last week, I tried the Women's only swim with a friend (held in the learner's pool) and there was a strong stench of sewage on one side of the pool so we had to leave that and join the main pool. The water in the learner pool was really warm and didn't feel chlorinated in comparison to the main pool. The ladies' changing rooms have been closed for weeks, so we had to squeeze into one of the family changing rooms with other ladies, with open showers (no privacy). FINALLY, to add - I have seen staff members dipping a mop bucket into the pool to get water WHILE people are swimming. NOT OK! As a member of the leisure centre I expect much BETTER (pun intended). It's unhygienic and has deterred me from swimming there again. I am likely to be cancelling my membership if things don't improve.

Positive experience: Visted the recently refurbished sauna and steam suite. It's very tidy and enjoyable. Was not too busy, which was a bonus. Will go again.

Negative experience: This leisure centre is awful. The changing rooms are always dirty. The showers are also dirty and always have flies. Most of the doors are brocken so you can't even close them. The female changing rooms have been closed for weeks. I have been taking my daugter her for her swimming lessons and there has been slow progression as the classes are to big which means they can not adequately teach the children. At times the lessons are cut short due to the lessons starting late meaning they don't have their full 30 min session. When I have tried to speak with the instructers about this I am just ignored. I have now moved my daugter to forrest hill which I hope is much better.

Negative experience: Whilst the learner pool was okay to use and great to see how lively the place was (due to a swimming gala). However, the rest of the facilities need to be improved. The toilets i was using were not clean and I'm unsure if they're being inspected throughout the day. Also, the car park is filthy. It's being used by homeless people- human excrement evident and is very pleasant as you head into the leisure centre. Disappointed and will not be goingvback.

Negative experience: The mens changing rooms are closed and have been for over a week. Effectively this means there are no men's lockers so you have to put things by the poolside. Your guess is as good as mine when the changing rooms will be open again.

Fantastic experience: Nice swimming centre. Cant wait for my child to grow a bit more and we will attend the swimming pool lessons.

Negative experience: Filthy and threatening car park . Smelling of urine , with homeless people camping in stairwell , broken glass , graffiti and lots of missing lights . Not a place you would want to be in after dark !!

Fantastic experience: Really nice, clean swimming pool. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Love swimming there.

Positive experience: It's not bad for a local leisure centre. Unfortunately the wet changing rooms feel dirty and there are often lots of flies. The room for classes and gym are cleaner, the pool is typically ok and there is a new steam room and sauna opening up. It has got a cafe/warm space in the foyer.

Positive experience: Pool: Not seen the gyms but absolutely love the pool, the daylight and vibe in there is gorgeous. The swim teachers are great, it’s only £10 and you get loads of helpful drills and guidance. This makes for much more interesting solo swim workouts, as you can focus on pointers to improve instead of just doing lengths. It’s not immaculate but it’s not filthy, I’ve definitely seen worse. The pool is sometimes crowded early evenings but if you go after 9pm it’s really quiet! Changing rooms: the floors need sweeping and mopping more, I’ve never seen them clean. Also, the showers don’t have soap. I bring soap and flip flops because of this but new visitors wouldn’t know this in advance and might well be put off! Also I *hate* the better app for searching for and switching pools (I travel a lot) - it’s buggy but tbf it usually works fine for booking a slot.

Negative experience: Worst pool i have ever been to for a swimming gala. No parking. Electronic timing facilities poor and timing board not working, then to top it off every toilet in the building blocked as they would not flush. This was toilets and both sets of changing rooms. Apparently another family said it was the same last time they came.

Negative experience: It has very good facilities, including a good pool to swim, although sometimes the changing room is a bit smelly. But the main reason I gave such a low score is the disrespect I can feel from the staff. It is not the first time a male staff working in a female toilet or changing room, without any notice or asking if anyone is inside. I'm really angry about the arrangement. And the staff did not think any wrong at all, and blamed me back.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been swimming a few times and despite the pool being quite small, it has never been too crowded. The changing rooms are clean and well equipped with lockers and hair driers.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing staff! Very helpful, polite, friendly. Well done! Clean location, well maintained. Everything you need for a relaxing day,

Negative experience: If you have a minimum of pudishness don't go there. No cabin to change just one big room where you change in front of the others. I can deal with the dirtiness of the place but that it's not possible....a shame...

Negative experience: I have been attending Xyla healthy living and diabetes prevention classes at the centre. The building is OK but the room allocated is far too small - windowless, claustrophobic and poky. Exactly what you don't want as an environment for motivating people to change their lifestyle. A supply of drinking water would be good, too, as course participants are encouraged to stay hydrated

Fantastic experience: it’s a great pool. i don’t like one of the life guards though edit: the life guards are amazing, the bad one left also now has a steam room and sauna

Negative experience: Swimming pool staff discrimination me,now I thinking about suicide, and I think yes I must do that,people not good, because I'm not english and staff discrimination me:(

Negative experience: Changing room bathrooms haven't had soap in for months, gym machines are rarely cleaned and people seem to behave like feral animals as they leave their sweaty towelettes stuffed into the machines. For a premium gym, this place feels like I'm in pound stretcher. Really needs some work to fix this place, not a pleasant experience.

Positive experience: great pool, terrible change rooms with missing shower doors, moth infestation, missing tile panels in the shower ceiling etc

Positive experience: Well managed leisure centre. The swimming pool area is very good. There are a sufficient number of swimming teachers who take good care in giving swimming lessons.

Negative experience: Dire leisure centre and it's no wonder they are losing members in droves. The changing facilities are disgusting but worst than that the staff are hostile, rude and aggressive should you need to ask them something or call them from their office ( the reception is rarely manned) to help you gain access to the centre as the swipe in gates routinely fail. The management are just as bad as the staff. It's a toxic place, be warned and beware.

Negative experience: It's a great pool but the maintenance and cleanliness are not good, sadly. chewing gum stuck on floor stays there since they got rid of the cleaner. showers are not cleaned frequently enough. toilet paper is not replenished - really unacceptable when people are going from there into the pool. generally feels uncared for.

Negative experience: Dirty changing rooms, drain flies. Two lanes always closed off so swimming is more crowded than it needs to. Better are ripping off Lewisham residents

Positive experience: Good pool but badly run. The pool itself is quite nice but the two furthest lanes are almost permanently closed off, even when they aren't being used, and even when the other lanes are too busy. The staff will tell you that this is because they need two lifeguards, not one, to be able to open all the lanes, and they don't have enough staff to do this. Fair enough if this were true, but at any point in time there are normally 3 or 4 staff all hanging around the main desk in the entrance, chatting and clearly not really doing anything. This has been going on for years and it's really frustrating.

Positive experience: I go here for swimming lessons and the teachers can be very nice but one thing is that some changing rooms can be very dirty and disgusting. overall it has its ups and downs.

Positive experience: bigger than other pools. the water is colder than in some other pools meaning it’s easier to swim in

Fantastic experience: I began to learn how to swim at Glass Mill Leisure Centre. They have an excellent pool and great staff

Fantastic experience: Attended due to my daughter participating in an inter-school swimming gala and was impressed by the excellent facilities.

Fantastic experience: I love my regular swims here with my husband. If you pick swim times carefully never seems overly busy. Sunday one to avoid! Cleanliness ok rather than brilliant but staff try hard. Ladies changing room cold in winter.

Negative experience: I went the other night swimming left my shorts and swimming goggles in the shower only found out when got home so tried to ring them but it was to late as I was one off the last people to leave at 9-45 pm so thought I will go 9 in morning there went back and they told me they throw swimming stuff away I could not believe it as it had only been gone a few hours

Fantastic experience: Please, don't put your kids swimming here.. go to Greenwich branch, its closer and cheaper for each lesson. The instructors up to the green cap are awful. My kids are still going there and not making progress.... if I could take them Greenwich, I would have. If your kids are advanced then no problem at all, my son who is in the advanced level is doing so well.

Positive experience: A big complex but perhaps overly so? A huge amount of space is devoted to the lobby and you can’t get in all the doors. There are two main swimming pools, though you have to book via the ‘better’ app (hard than it sounds to setup). The main pool is a good size, albeit you have to be content with the huge public-facing windows and raked seating. The main issue is that (in this cold December weather) it is just a little too cold. The water temperature is ok once you start moving but the air temperature is so low you’ll start to get goose pimples. Changing is fine, as are the showers and toilets. There aren’t a lot of family changing rooms but they are a good size. If I had to choose, I’d go with Wavelengths in Deptford (also managed by Better), for the warmth alone.

Negative experience: We have been going swimming here for a year. The lockers are absolutely disgusting all the time, but the main pool is ok. We tried to come with our baby in the learning pool, only to find out that the temperature wasn’t the promised 30 degrees (which a baby absolutely needs), but rather 26-27. Wouldn’t have been told if we did not notice ourselves that the water was cold and asked. Ended up paying just for 10 mins in the water as baby was cold. I don’t think we’ll be going back, nor do I recommend it to families with young children if you can go somewhere else.

Negative experience: This would have been an alright facility based on the location. I'm not a member but go swimming there sometimes. The changing rooms, as well as the bathrooms are nasty, just filthy. Pool in itself is alright when it comes to the depth and so on, although would also do with a good scrub around. Let's put it this way, it looks very clean when you walk in to the centre, the gym looks good too, new equipment. But the pool area - it needs a good clean. Toilets look like they have not been cleaned for weeks, changing rooms are dirty, lockers aren't much better, and the showers in ladies changing rooms-you wouldn't want to touch the walls as they may have been slimey. Used up shampoo and shower gel containers on the floors, just nasty. And I was there between 9 and 10am on a Saturday so you'd expect to still see the results of overnight cleaning. Wasn't impressed at all. BETTER sort it out!

Negative experience: While the fitness staff are doing great work, on the other hand the female shower area is so disgusting, some showers not working and the drainage is blocked so when people think they're showering their feet is in a pool of dirty disgusting hair fill, soapy water. I over heard a female saying its been like that over a year now fix the bloody issues

Positive experience: Gym is fairly nice size though quite a few pieces of equipment have pieces missing or broken off. Staff are lovely and friendly and the swimming pool is great!

Negative experience: I've been a member for a few years now, but it's just gone downhill. I've complained about the lack of maintenance - barely any showers working, the lack of lane management and 2 lanes you're never allowed in, but no change. Time for me to change membership.

Positive experience: Gym very well equipped, and the centre seems spacious. However, facilities could do with a "refresh" or sprucing up...but, nevertheless it's functional.

Positive experience: First time attending with my children to swim this 6 weeks. I have to say a little disappointed. Its pretty dirty. Down the edges of the stairs as you enter theres dirt. The corners of the shallow end by the stairs their's dirt. Totally visible through goggles when underwater. Between the swim entrance and changing rooms the floor is disgusting. Although signs say no outdoor footwear I still see parents walking though with shoes to attend swimming lessons with their children. My children attend more than I do they say life guards are friendly. Changing rooms, I feel need some sort of once over a few times a day. They are not very nice. Not a fault of the pool but i have found people wrists bands thrown on the floor in a changing room where there is a bin 3 steps away.

Negative experience: Overly complicated booking system. Called ahead to check there was an appropriate session for me and my 2 year old daughter as I hadn't been since pre pandemic. Reassured that the "Swim for all" sessions included the warmer learner pool. Arrived at learner pool changed and ready to go and was told that it was closed for "lessons" and that I couldn't join a lesson even if I paid (even though she was the appropriate age).

Negative experience: Impossible to swim in the evening. Local youth swimming team takes over the pool for 3 hours. 2 lines left for members of public. 14 people were swimming at ones. Mess

Negative experience: The gym has so many problems. Not enough free lanes in the swimming pool, toilets are often broken, and the worst is the Wi-Fi has been down for months. Do you call this a good customer service?

Negative experience: View the pictures and read in full before you visit or pay another subscription. Make your own judgement if you or your children want to use Glassmill. And yes there is a picture of a snail in its shell. I would have given 5 stars to Glass Mill in 2021 when the centre reopened. And would still rate Angella's classes for professionalism, customer service, skills and delivery. But the building? The pictures I am posting are for you to judge whether you want to use this centres facilities in its current state. And yes I have spoken and emailed management several times with no response. Pictures were taken from 1st floor female changing rooms. But, ground has been similar for days. Remember, we can all vote with our subscriptions & feet.

Negative experience: Pre schooler swimming classes: - Lovely teachers who engage well with the children. - Terribly disorganised service with no consideration of a parent or child's needs. Sometimes you are supposed to drop your child off. Sometimes you have to stay. Sometimes you have to get in the pool. Sometimes the class is cancelled. Sometimes you have to go in a different pool. (You will not have prior warning about any of this). - Rude and unkind customer services. If your child misses a class due to being hospitalised, don't expect a refund. Yet expect to pay for any cancelled classes. - The water is often freezing. Even the teachers get in and say "brrrr it's so cold". Expect your child to come out blue!

Negative experience: As a swim user, there are so many problems with this leisure centre. The pool rarely has all lanes available to use due to swim lessons or a lack of lifeguards. The app doesn't reduce the amount of swim slots available at these times so you have a whole pool's worth of people crammed into a couple of lanes. Changing rooms are horrendous. 4 out of 6 showers have been broken for at least 6 months and there are flies everywhere. Seems to have got progressively worse since Better took over.

Positive experience: Mixed bag - if I was reviewing just staff I’d give 5 stars. Good - 1. Angellas Saturday Zumba class, she’s incredible and it’s the best class I’ve found in borough - it’s proper dancing, she’s a strong teacher, it’s super fun and a great workout and accessible and safe in terms of adaptions for injuries and ability - she really takes care of everyone and I’m so grateful it’s here 2. Lifeguards and reception are friendly chatty and welcoming 3. Size of pool 4. Has a weekly trans and gnc swim session, in a smaller pool but has privacy and staff are great 5. Great aqua aerobics Bad 1. State of changing rooms is grim 2. Timing of classes and swim clubs make for dirty busy changing rooms with lots of kids as you come out of evening aqua classes so not much space 3. Prob not bad for the swim clubs but they do take priority over individual swimmers - pool was great for evening swim during lockdowns but I’ve not enjoyed and now swim elsewhere 4. Despite the trans / gender diverse swim sessions there’s still not a place to change comfortably and management response to this is not helpful - Hackney GLL managed it so why can’t Lewisham? 5. Other Zumba classes aren’t as good, teachers watching themselves in mirror rather than supporting the class, also not much variety of classes compared to Wavelengths 6. Saunas and steam not available as GLL/ better like to charge £20ish per session rather than allow with membership so they just shut it down when took over, such a waste Overall I don’t use this club as much as don’t swim here (used to 2-4 times a week) due to feeling grim in changing room and that it is more a swim club pool than one for individuals. If it wasn’t for Angella and Jennifer’s classes and sometimes the convinience of pool location I wouldn’t use this centre. Prefer Charlton and Wavelengths for more accessible changing.

Fantastic experience: This is a cool place to go for a good workout and a swim, they have sprint exercise bikes. Lovely venue. As soon as you walk in you will love the atmosphere, the staff are helpful and willing to direct and support. They do care. Try it, you won't regret it.

Negative experience: There is a real lack of proper cleaning, the changing rooms and toilets are always disgusting with a fly infestation, litter and just generally unclean. Light bulbs, showers and hair dryers left not working. The floor where classes are held is always dusty and unclean. Its a real shame as it could be nice and all staff are friendly and helpful, and the classes are good.

Positive experience: I always park my motorcycle there. Really good and never had a problem. They just don’t have enough information about motorcycle pay rates

Fantastic experience: Only a few people in the Gym so was a nice experience for my 1st time there. Nice and relaxing swim afterwards.

Fantastic experience: Everything in one place , swimming, spa , gym, learning pool and swimmers pool and rock climbing too , hope glassmill leisure get back to normal soon after pandemic eases away .

Negative experience: I beg you - make it clear how many lanes are open when booking a swim! Its so frustrating when I book a lane swim, only to find only one lane is open due to swimming lessons. It does not work having people of such different speeds swimming in a single busy lane. Do better.

Negative experience: Sadly I have to echo a lot of the complaints. Better taking over initially showed promise, but it went downhill quickly. Swim classes are constantly cancelled without notice. When we try to call the centre before class starts to confirm it is still going forward, no one answers. Refunds are spotty and responses emails are rare as well. Changing rooms are also quite dirty.

Fantastic experience: I mostly use the swimming pool lanes and gym and both are kept in a good tidy and clean state. Staff have always been very helpful in the 5 or so years I've been going there. Only downside of the pool is that you can't use flippers. You can use all other swimming aides. I hope they change this policy soon.

Negative experience: This centre was jerry-built and has had no end of problems since it opened. However, the biggest issue is with the management, or lack of. Being the main pool for the Borough, hosting all sorts of regular swimming events, it should have been built with more capacity. As it wasn’t, the lack of skilled management of the pool has caused all sorts of problems that have been highlighted with the Covid 10-minute access windows. The pool is often empty because the booking system isn’t working and the cause is not cancellations alone. All the lifeguards know this and the reputation of Glass Mill is so bad that even lifeguards at other ‘Better’ pools have joked about it with me. This place is less than 10 years old but you wouldn’t think it from the state it’s in. It’s not cleaned properly and the changing rooms are infested with flies. Can’t the Council do something about the ‘green shirts’ and get some proper management in here?

Negative experience: Looks good on the outside, but sadly the inside is bleak, devoid of staff, dirty, non working showers, graffitied lockers, cafe closed, and as others note below, the changing rooms are infested with fleas. Sadly I won’t go back. It’s a great shame as the council clearly spend a lot of money to build a flagship centre. Instead it finds it self the owner of a rotting slum.

Negative experience: Turns out that new operator Better is even worse than the excerable Fusion. Turned up with kids for booked swimming session in training pool to discover pool was closed. Manager says we shouldn't have been able to book, as if we had done something wrong. No refund possible. Have to call customer services to get money back. Customer services don't answer. Local people deserve better.

Positive experience: The leisure centre itself is not too bad, but for a new complex the facilities are very old fashioned and lack hygiene. The male toilets downstairs stink of drainage and the floors are rarely cleaned. But it’s manageable if you have sandals at all times. The men showers are average the shower spray ain’t that comfortable and the changing rooms have no TV or clock unlike other better gyms. Apart from a few friendly female staff, the rest seem especially the men seem like they come from the roads. Like they got a chip on their shoulder, bare attitude no customer service and respond like they got issues in their own life. I just don’t bother with them and use the facilities, such as the gym and the pool. The leisure centre is massive and has so much potential but the spaces are just not used right. The landings are massive and whoever designed the place did not realise that could have been used for a larger gym and a better kids pool. Such a shame as its in a prime area of South East London.

Negative experience: Often impossible to get a morning swimming slot due to restricted numbers, while lanes are often closed leaving the others overcrowded. If this is due to staff shortages then they must have very few, as they've already reduced the number required with half the facilities being closed, and negated the need for reception/ customer service now it's pre-bookings only.

Positive experience: Glass Mill has reopened as a vibrant, attractive building, carefully & skillfully revamped to fully meet covid requirements! Never seen it's environs so pristine & clean. Separate entrance & exit with excellent front of house staff to support, inform & direct. All unfailingly helpful, patient & yet discreet in their dealings with us daft Jane/Joe public. Poolside staff likewise are both professional & kind. Strictly timed slots for number control reassure. This reads like a publicity plug but I'm merely an impressed swimmer in awe of Better's management strategies & plans that have restored this tired, indeed failing, business into a valuable public asset. The most welcome spin off of such all round professionalism is the warm, happy interactions of us users. Well done, Better. Get swimming, get fit, have fun!