Ponds Forge Swimming Pool

The first point to note is that the majority of the positive reviews for this site are related to the centre's use as an event space for graduate ceremonies, NOT for the leisure facilities themselves. This site should be a flagship, instead, it is a poorly shoe-string-run unhygienic shell of itself being grossly let down by inadequate management and poor investment. It is a prime example of what happens when public facilities are put into private hands. Membership cost up, service down. For months now the lane swim schedule has been at best part time. This week for example there are no sessions Thurs-Sunday, at all. This has become standard. On the days when there are sessions, they are patchy, with gaps during the day, and often ending by 4pm. No explanation is ever given, complaints are responded to with a generic 'we're sorry you feel that way' response (as I'm sure this will be) and then ignored. In addition to this, hygiene standards have plummeted and membership prices soared since Everyone Active took over (running the site for profit), from the charity Sheffield City Trust. The members changing rooms are mouldy and stale, with every single hair dryer broken. The showers are rarely cleaned, I've seen stains and dirt sit in the same spot on the shower block floor for weeks at a time. The yoga mats in the studio reek of stale sweat, and there is no antibacterial spray for wiping down. A loudly championed 'refurbishment' of the gym involved a rearrange, and the swapping out of broken equipment with already worn equipment shipped over from the Hillsborough site. With respect to membership costs, the first thing that Everyone Active did on taking over the running of the site was to hike prices, and particularly spitefully, remove the discount rate for disabled people. To mark the one year anniversary of their running of the site prices have just been raised yet again without excuse or apology. All this seems to be a common pattern with Everyone Active who appear to at least in part keep their sites profitable by slashing staff and services, particularly with the cleaning team, but I also suspect with lifeguard numbers. The current excuse in the case of Ponds Forge is that there is a problem with the leisure pool which has lead to swimming lessons being moved over to the main pool, causing cancellations. However, this is an excuse that Everyone Active have been using for months, whilst also cancelling swimming lessons, and often leaving the main pool half empty with neither taking place. At some point all physical problems become management problems. When Sheffield City Trust ran the site, it was not perfect, but they were a charity doing their best, and the general level of service was far above what it is now. Private for-profit companies do not deserve the leniency that we give to charities. They should step up their game, communicate with their members, improve as a matter of urgency, or lose their right to run the facility. Ponds Forge could be so much, and yet, because of poor management and investment, it grows shabbier by the day.

Gone downhill since Everyone Active took over. Staff are rude, forgetful and ignorant. They're no good at planning or signposting, so many other parents have been confused at What's what they I'm having to communicate between the reception and then. I'd take my child elsewhere for swimming lessons but there's no where else to go

Remains our preferred swimming pool in Sheffield as a family, we love the leisure swimming its a mix of relaxation and fun.

Pool chilly, I was shivering after an hour's swim. Changing rooms equally chilly. No soap in the shower cubicles - Hillsborough provides them but here you can't wash off the chlorine, which causes me skin issues. PLEASE fix the saunas, closing them really is a step backwards. They are healthy, fun and running costs aren't a problem wherever else I've been on my travels.

It's so nice