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Dulwich Pool Discussion

Alec1
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Alec1

Alec1

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Just got this......

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during the closure of the pool at Dulwich Leisure Centre. We deeply appreciate your support throughout this period.

We’re pleased to let you know that school swimming successfully resumed as part of our phased reopening. This was an important step in testing the performance of the existing filtration system and we’re happy to report that it has coped well.

With that reassurance, we’re now ready to move forward with the next stages of reopening:

Phase 2 – Morning Lane Swimming, Silver Swim and Aqua Aerobics
Dates: From 9 June to 13 July

Weekdays: 6:30am to 8:30am
Saturdays: 7:00am to 8:00am
Tuesday Silver Swim sessions: 3pm to 4pm
Tuesday Aqua Aerobics class: 11:30am to 12:30pm
Phase 3 – Evening Lane Swimming
Dates: 1 July to 13 July

Monday to Friday: 8:00pm to 9:45pm
Full Closure for Filter Installation
The new state-of-the-art filters are scheduled to arrive in mid-July. To allow for installation, the pool will close for approximately six weeks.

Pool Closure Dates: 14 July to 24 August
We know another closure may be disappointing, but this work is essential for delivering a safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable swimming environment going forward.

Phase 4 - Full Reopening Date: 25 August

We anticipate that we will be able to fully re-open the pool on 25 August. All programmes will resume, and swimming lessons will return to Dulwich Leisure Centre.

Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons will remain at alternative venues until we fully re-open to avoid further disruption. We look forward to welcoming you back to lessons at Dulwich when we fully re-open. A separate email will be sent nearer the time to confirm details.

Help us to keep the pool clean
As we welcome swimmers back, please remember that good pool hygiene is vital for everyone’s safety. We kindly ask all swimmers to shower before entering the water — it really helps us keep the pool clean and maintain a healthy environment for all.

Membership Adjustments

We’ll continue to keep you informed throughout this process and will share full details soon about eligibility for membership adjustments.

Thank you again for your continued patience and support. We look forward to seeing you back in the pool very soon.

Warm regards,
Phillippa Gillespie
General Manager, Dulwich Leisure Centre

 

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Pugwash

Pugwash

Posted
Posted

Hubby used to go to this centre for swimming for older people scheme, Got fed up with their chaotic booking system and now goes to Forest Hill Leisure Centre. Costs more but he can book in person and book several days swim. Better changing rooms, including a spin dryer for costumes and towels.

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  • 3 months later...
Sue

Sue

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, peckhambog said:

Rang the Leisure Centre this afternoon to check on where they were with the 22nd September re-opening of the pool.

Regrettably the work is not done yet and they have no date at present.

Hopefully they'll reflect this on the web site /app soon.

That's really poor, isn't it? 

Did they say what the hold up was?

 

Azalea

Azalea

Posted
Posted
On 27/03/2025 at 19:03, bonaome said:

I don’t think it is. It’s certainly is not possible to come from the gym to the pool via the wet side changing without coming back through reception and through the wet change gates. You could get to the pool from dry change but the lifeguards would know you hadn’t come from wet change.

Better do a swim only membership for £40 / month and you can use that at Vauxhall and Forrest Hill.

I use it and mainly swim at St Pancras but it’s also valid for The Oasis in Covent Garden and any other Better nationally, not just in London.

The pool at East Dulwich doesn’t work for people who want to swim for fitness. It’s boiling hot, doesn’t have a deep end and they don’t manage the lanes very well. Peckham Pulse by contrast has problems with the heating and is often freezing. Camberwell is better but seems very chlorinated.

all in I have given up swimming with Southwark, so far for me my £40 swim only at Better is, well, better.

 

This reminds me of when I used to go to Marshall Street in W1 after work for swimming. I didn’t last long there as the lanes were very overcrowded with other swimmers up against your feet and having to drop back/slow down for someone in front of you unless you wanted a kick in the face.   There used to be a fantastic pool in W9 (close to where I used to live) and I’d try to go in the evening, about an hour before closing time or early on Sunday to have a swim and it was delightfully empty. Every friend I took to this pool loved it. I’m sure the times I went there also made the experience better.  I don’t think this pool exists anymore.

NewWave

NewWave

Posted
Posted
56 minutes ago, Azalea said:

This reminds me of when I used to go to Marshall Street in W1 after work for swimming. I didn’t last long there as the lanes were very overcrowded with other swimmers up against your feet and having to drop back/slow down for someone in front of you unless you wanted a kick in the face.   There used to be a fantastic pool in W9 (close to where I used to live) and I’d try to go in the evening, about an hour before closing time or early on Sunday to have a swim and it was delightfully empty. Every friend I took to this pool loved it. I’m sure the times I went there also made the experience better.  I don’t think this pool exists anymore.

Was it Jubillee sports centre In the avenues off of Harrow road? I used to go there it was a lovely pool. Now demolished but I think its been absorbed into the new sports centre on Kilburn Lane.

The only other Swimming pool near W9 is Porchester where I used to go but the pool was always FREEZING!

back on topic..I thought Dulwich Leisure centre pool was reopening at the end of August? where did the date of 22nd September come from? I cancelled my membership to pay per visit when they informed us of the huge price hike for full membership so have been attending another gym but I do like the depth of Dulwich and its the only pool I do use.

Mugpie

Mugpie

Posted
Posted

Update via email:

 

We’re getting closer to the re-opening of Dulwich pool and we can’t wait to welcome you back for leisure, fitness or lessons!

We have faced some technical challenges with the installation of the new filter that has caused a delay to our originally planned opening date. We are now planning to re-open the pool as follows:

  • Wednesday 15 October; pool re-opens for all swim sessions and classes
  • Monday 20 October; swimming lessons start

>> New filtration system

We’ve fitted a brand-new Defender filter in the pool – one of the most advanced systems available today. It filters out the tiniest particles for sparkling-clear water. The best part? It helps reduce chemical, water and energy use, making the pool both cleaner and more environmentally friendly

>> Bookings open soon

Make a note in your diary for when you can book your first swim back at Dulwich. If you have a 14 day priority membership, bookings open on 1 October. If you have a 7 day priority membership bookings open on 8 October.

>> New showers and upgrade to disability facilities

While the pool has been closed, we’ve installed new showers in the wet changing rooms and upgraded our disability changing room access to meet the latest compliance standards.

>> Help us keep the pool sparkling clean

Please shower before you swim. It helps us keep the pool sparkling clean and fresh for everyone – and makes your dip even nicer too!

>> Swimming lessons

Lessons will resume at Dulwich Leisure Centre on 20 October. You will receive a separate email confirming details.

>> Refunds

You may be entitled to a refund if you are a Dulwich member who has not attended another Move Southwark pool during the closure period. If you believe this applies to you, please complete the refund request form via the link below, no later than 5 December.

Submit refund request

>> Thanks for swimming with us elsewhere
We hope you’ve enjoyed splashing around at our pools in Peckham, Camberwell and others across Move Southwark over the summer. Now it’s time to bring it all back to Dulwich!

Thanks again for your patience, we can’t wait to see you back in the water very soon.

See you poolside,

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Azalea

Azalea

Posted
Posted
On 23/09/2025 at 18:33, NewWave said:

Was it Jubillee sports centre In the avenues off of Harrow road? I used to go there it was a lovely pool. Now demolished but I think its been absorbed into the new sports centre on Kilburn Lane.

The only other Swimming pool near W9 is Porchester where I used to go but the pool was always FREEZING!

back on topic..I thought Dulwich Leisure centre pool was reopening at the end of August? where did the date of 22nd September come from? I cancelled my membership to pay per visit when they informed us of the huge price hike for full membership so have been attending another gym but I do like the depth of Dulwich and its the only pool I do use.

It was a council run centre right by Mozart Street.  Very high glass ceilings over the pool.  On Sundays, after swimming,  we’d go to Golborne Rd for breakfast at one of the Portuguese cafes for breakfast.

bubbachumps

bubbachumps

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Pootle said:

Has anyone successfully applied for a refund? I submitted a request (having not used Dulwich or any other pool while it was closed) and was told I was ineligible, with no reason given.

I had exactly the same thing! I was going to complain to them. They took money from my account for swimming lessons at the beginning of April despite the pool being closed from late March. It can't be right to be charged a month when they didn't provide the lessons we signed up for.  I don't understand how I'm not eligible when they have taken £80 and not given me any lessons in return.

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bubbachumps

bubbachumps

Posted
Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, bubbachumps said:

I had exactly the same thing! I was going to complain to them. They took money from my account for swimming lessons at the beginning of April despite the pool being closed from late March. It can't be right to be charged a month when they didn't provide the lessons we signed up for.  I don't understand how I'm not eligible when they have taken £80 and not given me any lessons in return.

I have now had a reply from the leisure centre about why I am not entitled to a refund for my children's swimming lessons:

To qualify for a refund, members must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Have only ever used the swimming pool at Dulwich Leisure Centre, and not any other facilities such as the gym or fitness classes.
  • Have not used any other Southwark Leisure Centres while the Dulwich pool has been closed.
  • Have joined after the pool closure.

 

This makes sense for a refund on a gym membership but makes absolutely no sense for a refund on swimming lessons for my children that they cancelled. Has anyone else had this?

Edited by bubbachumps
Pootle

Pootle

Posted
Posted

On appealing, I've had the same reply regarding my personal membership, despite being told previously by staff that I could apply for a (partial) refund when the pool finally reopens (it still isn't open) and to go ahead and use the gym instead in the meantime. I've made a formal complaint.

Any local journalists on here?

Perhaps local councillors are following this thread?

TreacleRabbit

TreacleRabbit

Posted
Posted

I haven’t even had a response to my emails re the refund, and when it was closed over Christmas for an equipment failure too. 
 

I haven’t seen any terms, not sure that would be a fair term either. 
 

perhaps we will also have to send a letter before action, - what a shame. They should really do the right thing. 

Pootle

Pootle

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, KalamityKel said:

I'm sure they have some ridiculous caveat that you could/should be using facilities at another venue... I'm sure I read that in their terms and conditions somewhere...

They specifically told me that if I used other venues I won't be eligible for a refund when the pool reopens 🤦‍♀️

Penguin68

Penguin68

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, Pootle said:

They specifically told me that if I used other venues I won't be eligible for a refund when the pool reopens 🤦‍♀️

That surely would only be legitimate if you could, and did, parlay your expenditure with them to another of their venues. Otherwise I don't think it would stand up in court. They failed to provide a service paid for. When they would have been in a position to do do on reopening. 

Pootle

Pootle

Posted
Posted

So, the pool is still not open and members are still being charged for the use of it! On complaining again, this is what I have received:

 

"Thank you for your reply. I am sorry to hear how strongly you feel about this situation and I completely understand how disappointing the ongoing pool closure has been, particularly as swimming was one of your main reasons for joining.

 

I appreciate you sharing what you were told at the point of sign-up. While we aim for all information to be consistent, I recognise that this has not always been the case, and I apologise if this has caused confusion or led to expectations that differ from the eligibility criteria we have since communicated.

 

To clarify, the eligibility criteria for adjustments were introduced to ensure we treat all members fairly and consistently, based on usage across all Southwark sites. I do recognise your concern that this information did not feel as visible as it should have been, and I will ensure this feedback is passed on so our communication is clearer going forward.

 

I truly regret the disruption the closure has caused and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve it. Thank you again for taking the time to outline your concerns.

 

Kind regards,
Move Southwark Team
Dulwich Leisure Centre"

swquiz

swquiz

Posted
Posted
On 02/10/2025 at 11:59, Pootle said:

They specifically told me that if I used other venues I won't be eligible for a refund when the pool reopens 🤦‍♀️

Can I ask when and how this was communicated to you? Just because I don’t recall it being mentioned to us. What a bizarre policy. 

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