I personally believe individuals using the pool should also take care of the place, when I was there last week, there was a full rose in one of the toilets with toilet paper on the floor, there was a group of children eating rice cakes in the foyer dropping crumbs everywhere with adoring parents looking on, they then got up and left the mess to be cleared by whom I'm not sure, oh yeah sorry the cleaner.
People please clear your and your children's mess will make it easier for the cleaners to do the general cleaning

I had a look at the feedback on the Fusion website. It offers simple Likert-scale type responses to their questions and then a whole load of personal details about the respondent. I gave up at that point. If I want to make some comment then I o not want to go through all that palaver which provides information for Fusion to say, basically, that everything is OK. They can have my email address, but why all the rest - this is not for feedback, but to garner information, presumably to sell on for marketing purposes.

I wanted to say that the men's showers in the gym area are a dribble, and one is so hot it comes with a warning. Not a lot of feedback, but might be worth some attention.

The Leisure Centre is a real resource for Forest Hill, but outsourcing changes the focus from local amenity to profit generating machine. Some 'middle way' sounds attractive, but I think that one might have been tried somewhere?

I agree the pools defintely need regular cleaning and maintenance including the problem of hot water in the showers, broken hair dryers and clean toilets. I'm sick of finding toilet paper all over the floor in the loos and lumps of excrement on toilet seats. Only the other week one of the family changing rooms was closed because someone had done 'their business' in there. It's totally unbelievalbe how filthy people (or possibly children can be). There should be a permanent cleaner in the changing area keeping an eye on things.

Gingernuts, we dont need a full time cleaner to keep an eye on things (which is costly and that cost will be past onto us).

What we need are decent human beings.

One of the guys from the pool who I spoke to said that nappies were the least of their worries. Soiled ADULT underwear was a very common feature of their cleaning.

The hair driers didnt break all on their own, the screws in the cubicle doors didnt fall out all on their own and I am guessing the towel hooks didnt break on their own.

We live in times when a very small minority of people dont give a s**t about what they do and how it affects others.

I agree, but you'll only get people to stop misbehaving if you have someone keeping an eye on things. The floors are filthy - why are people not instructed to use the plastic shoe covers? why are the toilets and changing rooms not regularly cleaned? Why do under 16's get free swimming? There was a time when a child's swim was half/reduced price and you had to save or go without sweets/crisps to be able to swim with your friends. It was a good lesson to learn. You'd also get thrown out if you misbehaved. So I suggest charging kids to go swimming and this extra money can pay for a member of staff to clean up after them.

At Beckenham Pool, which I think is not too bad and used to use during the FHP debacle, you have to wear blue overshoes and the loos and changing rooms are cleaned regularly.

During busy times they will inevitably get messy, but I agree the solution is to have a regular round by people to do the cleaning. Again in Beckenham there were double cubicles for people with very young children each with a soiled nappy container. These cubicles were well marked and I think that people with young children were prioritised.

I guess it is about identifying the problem and looking for a suitable solution. What this thread seems to imply is that Fusion are not problem-aware, nor problem solvers.

It is the way England works these days imo:
money can be found for big glamorous projects, contracts going to the government's chums, but any ongoing costs must be minimised to the bone.

It's also why we have fancy new hospitals, full of MRSA, and fancy new school buildings with teacher's assistants doing the teaching.

If only that were the case. We see the big glamorous projects that go ahead, but obviously we don't see the ones that don't go ahead - bakerloo line extension, DLR extension, magnetic supersonic trains, new version of concorde, energy from nuclear fusion, or a decision over trident.
With big projects cut backs are all or nothing (or look like it). The savings often come in the form of poor quality buildings that are difficult to maintain (not that I believe this to be the case with the pool).
Any big glamorous project that gets the go ahead must either be excellent value for money, or the result of massive public pressure.

We are very lucky that the pool was built at all. It will not take the same level of public pressure to ensure that standards are maintained, but it does require engagement and pressure to be applied to ensure that the pool remains in the excellent condition it was last year after the first round of complaints.

I noticed that somebody from Fusion posted on the forum earlier today (on another thread), which suggests they are well aware of the forum and this thread even if they are not prepared to respond to every complaint posted anonymously on the forum. So the complaints are being heard and we will ensure that Fusion make the necessary changes. If we can get a pool built then we can get it cleaned!

I am of the mindset that if a place is well maintained then people will treat it with respect.
a full time cleaner is surely not that expensive and I would be happy to pay a little more per visit to have a clean well maintained environment.
Someone mentioned Beckenham Spa as an example of a well managed and cleaned pool and I would agree, I never encountered filthy blocked loo roll free toilets, and even at 9pm a woman would come in and clean the ladies showers which were always spotless.
I was unaware that under 16's get free swimming and that explains why the general swim area of the large pool in the late afternoon early evening resembles a war zone with kids jumping in, dive-bombing each other and chucking balls around. I am not a fast or confident swimmer and I found the lanes a bit too intimidating and just wanted a leisurely swim. It was impossible because all the manic teens in there-Could ball games perhaps be banned from the pool?
On a positive note I find the lifeguards and reception staff friendly and efficient, and as someone who takes adult swimming lessons I have nothing but praise for the excellent instructors.

I would like children to be restricted to the Childrens pool only unless they are swimming - not messing about. No children in nappies should be allowed in the pools. Anyone vandalising hairdryers should be immediated removed from the premises. Bins are provided, people should use them. Adults with dirty pants should either put them in the bin or put them back on. Showers should be used at all times before entering the pool area. Toilets should be used for the purpose of going to the toilet, anyone fouling in public areas should be permanently banned and sent to the Maudsley for help.

May i just say that the showers are so ineffectual and often at a rubbish temperature that I doubt they clean off any pre-swim grime.

You could be right there! Also as Forest Hill is a hard water area, the showers are likely to fur up quickly and be totally unusable in no time, like the hairdryers of which there are no communicated plans to fix.

I have over heard the staff say that Fusion only manage the operation of the pools and do not take reponsibility for the maintenance - by all accounts that's down to Lewisham Council. Does anyone know the truth of the matter? It does sound like passing the buck to me.

I think that kids have as much a right as adults to use the main pool, and if they don't want to swim lengths in the general swim area, well, that's fair enough; it's not just for us adults. If there are multiple lanes roped off then one is generally labelled as the slow lane, so surely that's the place to swim if you aren't a confident swimmer? It's the one by the side whenever I've been, so if you run out steam half way along you can stop grab the edge. Have to confess I've never been there late afternoon so have never seen it as described then. Later in the evening it tends to be pretty much all adults doing lengths when it's not reserved for lessons/clubs.
It does get frustrating when it's too busy, but not really sure what more you can do about that; it's great that people are using it and we just have to share, although I admit I got frustrated weaving in and out of people last week when there were no lanes for non-club people.

As for cleaning, yes they could do more, but really why do some people have to be so disgusting? The shoe covers seem to have disappeared too.

I've been to the pools two Sundays in a row and I love it. I find the changing rooms nice and clean, and I like the fact that you can just go in on Sunday morning with the kids and not have to wait for a slot.

I can see why folks wouldn't want kids I the main pool but unless someone tells me no, I will keen using it with the kids as I prefer the cooler water

Thumbs up for FH pools !

It's just too busy. Every time I've checked, bar once, there have been three to a lane. I guess if it doesn't bother you, fine, I just don't think it can be especially healthy with so many in there. And if people are as unsanitary as the rest of the thread suggests, frankly I'd rather find somewhere else!

ABC says: ...frankly I'd rather find somewhere else!

So where would that be? East Dulwich? Run by Fusion. The Bridge? Run by... er Fusion. The only other nearby place would appear to be Beckenham where many people occupy a lane for lane-swimming also.

I think we have to love the one we are with, and if there are problems with FHP then lets keep on thinking how it might be improved and telling this to Fusion, Lewisham and anyone else who might be interested.

Personally I think FHP is a brilliant local resource, and positively, keeping it clean would be even better and people would see it as such, as nottinghillbilly said a couple of months ago on this thread.

I've been twice since it opened (both at quiet times when I've been on holiday) and found it excellent - a lovely design and with good facilities, and reasonably priced.

I'd love to go more often but I find the thought of overcrowding at peak times off-putting.

They undoubtedly missed a big trick by not making it bigger the pool bigger than it is. But - it is what it is, and despite my initial disappointment I'd much rather be with it than without it...

It's a shame that they can't fix the majority of hairdryers though. And the biggish hole in one of the shower cubicles. I love it there, and go daily. The staff ( one life guard in particular- I have noticed) is especially good at calming down groups of over enthusiastic/loud teens. I don't agree that all children should be made to swim in the smaller pool, I go with my son a lot, and he is quite happy to have a bit of fun, but also have a bit of a swim. Saying that... larger groups of mates together does get a bit much, on Saturday, myself and at least three lane swimmers were hit with things that a large group of lads were throwing about....but as I said, they seemed to be aware.

I love the pools, however as I believe I have previously mentioned I do find the raucous groups of teens in the wide lane of the large pool off putting, and as a nervous swimmer I also find it intimidating getting into the pool when kids are leaping in and chucking stuff about. I don't wish to go into the narrow lanes because then I feel my lack of speed etc will just annoy people!
I agree that the lifeguards are excellent, and yes, there is one chap in particular who is vigilant and really good at his job.
My feeling is that kids shouldn't be allowed to bring balls and stuff into the large pool. And-at the risk of sounding like a child-hater (which I assure you I am not) I think we should have perhaps two evenings a week when from 6pm its over18's only. On more than one occasion I've reached the pool and then upon seeing how manic it is I've turned around and gone home.
I agree that the hairdryers need fixing, and the missing loo seat on the poolside ladies loo should be replaced. I go on avarage once a week when I have a lesson and have yet to ever see a cleaner in the changing area.