I found the gym, swimming pool, Pilates class, aqua aerobics, family leisure time and swimming wonderful. The staff have been very helpful and friendly also very supportive. I really enjoy coming to W... See more
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Location
Switch locationWoolwich New Road 49, SE18 London, England, GB
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See what reviewers are saying
I joined the new Woolwich waves a few months ago it certainly is a nice facility however there are definitely areas of concern that are not being attended to. As a senior member who attends mo... See more
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The facilities are top-notch and the rooms are very spacious. There is plenty of room to accommodate everyone. The pool looks great. The cafe is inciting. Logistically, the centre is perfectly placed... See more
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The atmosphere is welcoming because the staff at the front desk were friendly. Also, the facilities are clean and properly maintained, including the lockers they are spotless. Overall, there are lots... See more
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Company details
- #3 of 4 best companies in Leisure Centre
- #9 of 12 best companies in Fitness centre
- #11 of 17 best companies in Gym
- #3 of 3 best companies in Indoor Swimming Pool
- #2 of 2 best companies in Library
- #6 of 6 best companies in Outdoor Swimming Pool
Written by the company
Welcome to Better! We’re a charitable social enterprise, committed to the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community. From gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools to lessons and courses for both adults and juniors - plus libraries and children's centres - we've got it all. So whether you’d like to try something new, keep the kids entertained or have a dip in the pool, discover our inclusive range of activities, suitable for all ages and abilities at your local Better centre today.
Contact info
Woolwich New Road 49, SE18, London, England, United Kingdom
3.8
Great
106 reviews
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Reception is pathetic
Reception is pathetic. Immature youngsters are there who dnt care about the place they working in.we group of 4 went to ask for info and they said check online. We signed off ourselves on screens at front. When we went 1st day we asked them if any one can show us around and they refused saying we dnt do tours. We were walking around like an idiot. Twice had to leave because we didn't know we need own padlock and then 20p for lockers. We paying £59 each which is about 240 in total and looks like no one cares.. need to change the team and have some mature people who knows what's customer service. Really disappointed. All of us will leave end of this month
15 June 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Zia,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We are sorry to hear about your experience, as this is not the standard of service we aim to provide. We appreciate how frustrating it must have been to feel unsupported when seeking information, particularly as new members.
Your comments regarding the level of assistance from reception, the lack of guidance around the facility, and the information about lockers and access requirements have been noted. We recognise how important it is that all members feel welcomed, informed and confident when using the centre, especially during their first visit.
Your feedback will be shared with the management team so that these areas can be reviewed, including how we support new members and communicate key information more clearly.
We are also sorry to hear that you are considering leaving. We would value the opportunity to look into your concerns further and improve your experience, so please do get in touch with the centre directly if you are open to discussing this.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
Warm regards,
Hazal
Please please do not let this new centre become rundown
I joined the new Woolwich waves a few months ago it certainly is a nice facility however there are definitely areas of concern that are not being attended to.
As a senior member who attends most days I am starting to notice that things are getting broke and not repaired.
Examples of this are one of the taps in the toilets has been broken for some time and , one of the swimming trunk dryers in the unisex changing rooms has been out of action for months I have REPORTED this 3 times and the only response I get is we have made the contractors aware
Why are the managers not complaining more to get these jobs done ?
They have just spent a lot of money on new gym equipment which is great. But as was seen with the waterfront centre in Woolwich before its closure if repairs are not done the centre soon becomes run down and old
Better made over 4 million pounds profit last year, and maintenance should be a priority for its, members
16 June 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Philip,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We are pleased to hear that you value the facility overall, but we are sorry to learn of the maintenance concerns you have raised. We understand how frustrating it can be when reported issues are not resolved as quickly as expected, particularly for regular users such as yourself.
Your comments regarding the tap and the swimming trunk dryer have been noted, and we appreciate you reporting these. While some repairs do require external contractors, we recognise the importance of ensuring these issues are followed up promptly and communicated clearly. Your feedback will be shared with the management team to review current processes and prioritisation.
We would also like to clarify that Better operates as a Charitable Social Enterprise. This means we do not operate for profit, and any surplus generated is reinvested back into our facilities and services to benefit the communities we serve. Woolwich Waves itself was a significant investment of approximately £115 million, and ongoing maintenance remains a key priority to protect that investment and ensure a positive experience for all members.
We also appreciate your wider comments about maintaining the long-term condition of the centre, and feedback like yours is important in helping us improve.
Thank you again for your continued support and for bringing these matters to our attention.
Warm regards,
Hazal
My experience was good
My experience was good. The response was quick, clear, helpful and polite. It's really appreciated. Thanks to Mohammed.
16 June 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi
Thank you for your review.
We are very pleased to see that Mohammed has been able to provide amazing customer service, and we hope your experience continues!
Kind Regards
Amir
I found the gym fantastic and people in the gym are friendly also helpful.
I found the gym, swimming pool, Pilates class, aqua aerobics, family leisure time and swimming wonderful. The staff have been very helpful and friendly also very supportive. I really enjoy coming to Woolwich Waves most days. I enjoy the fitness facilities very much.
12 June 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Bernadette,
Thank you for your lovely review.
We’re really pleased to hear you’re enjoying the variety of facilities at Woolwich Waves.
It’s great that you find the facilities enjoyable and the staff are nice and helpful.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and hope to see you again soon!
Best wishes
Azaria
The perfect place to hit your goals.
The atmosphere is welcoming because the staff at the front desk were friendly. Also, the facilities are clean and properly maintained, including the lockers they are spotless.
Overall, there are lots of equipment and you don't have to wait for machines or weights.
10 June 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Kanyinsola,
Thank you for your lovely review!
We're thrilled that our atmosphere was welcoming due to our team at the front desk being so friendly.
It's amazing to know how clean and well-maintained you find our facilities, and that you're easily able to use the equipment we have in our gym space.
We can't wait to see you again soon!
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
Nice and new leisure centre
Nice and new leisure centre, with many facilities. Nice staff members helped to find out lost property.
21 May 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Jal
Thank you for your review.
We are very pleased to see that you are enjoying the facilities at Woolwich Waves, and that the team have been able to assist with finding your lost property!
We hope that you continue to enjoy the facilities!
Kind Regards
Amir
On Sunday
On Sunday, we went to Woolwich Wave, to the indoor swimming pool with water slides.
As soon as we arrived, we went on the slides and spent some time enjoying them without any issues. Later, after a staff shift change, we went back to use the slides again. There was a young male staff member there who immediately told me to be quiet, saying “Listen!” in a very rude manner.
He would not allow my son to go down the slide and did not explain the reason. He simply kept pointing at a green wristband. We later found out that this wristband related to a swimming test requirement, but at the time nobody explained this to us.
Instead, he started threatening to remove me from the pool and said he would call security. His behaviour was extremely rude, aggressive, and unprofessional. I was simply there with my son to enjoy our day.
After this incident, he appeared to follow me around the pool and repeatedly approached me asking if everything was alright, but in a manner that felt intimidating and threatening rather than helpful.
In addition, there seemed to be no proper control or communication regarding session times, wristbands, or the rules that were supposedly being enforced. The whole experience was very poorly managed.
I then told him that I intended to make a complaint about his behaviour. His response was that he did not care because he was the manager. He stated that any complaints would come to him and that he was the person responsible for the rules and for dealing with complaints.
Overall, the experience was very disappointing and left me and my son feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome.
31 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Dear Marisa,
Thank you for your feedback!
Green wristbands are issued to under-16s who pass a swim test, a 25-metre length in the main pool, unassisted and without stopping, in a recognised stroke.
This is required on every visit for any child who wants to swim independently without an adult, or where there are more than two non-swimmers per accompanying adult.
There's also a separate age restriction on the green slide: children must be 8 or over, regardless of the swim test. If both rules came into play at once without being explained clearly, we can see why it felt confusing and frustrating.
We're sorry for how the interaction came across. Whatever the intention, you and your son should have left feeling welcomed, not uncomfortable. I'll be speaking with the team about how we communicate these requirements, so this doesn't happen again.
If you'd like to discuss anything further, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
The facilities are top-notch and the…
The facilities are top-notch and the rooms are very spacious. There is plenty of room to accommodate everyone. The pool looks great. The cafe is inciting. Logistically, the centre is perfectly placed to be near to public transport. Recognition of core customer group looks to have been well-researched. All the customers looked to be very happy with their experience and serious fitness fans seemed to be happy with the gym facilities.
2 June 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Jo,
Thank you so much for your lovely review of Woolwich Waves!
It's brilliant to hear you're enjoying the facilities and that the space feels welcoming and comfortable. We work hard to make sure every visit is a great one, and reviews like yours mean a lot to the whole team.
We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Warm Regards,
Abdus
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi
Thank you for your review.
It is great to see that you are enjoying your experience at the new Woolwich Waves, in the heart of Woolwich!
Kind Regards
Amir
Just as the name better I can say its…
Just as the name better I can say its the best gym sauna and leisure centre to be with. The better App has straight forward navigation membership joining process that allowed me join the gym or any activity i desired without having to go to actual centre, stand on a queue wasting time. It's easy to navigate through the app and the actual centre where activity takes place is clean and has been well organised (planned). Thank you Better
5 March 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Linda
Thank you for your review.
It is great to see that you are enjoying the gym, sauna and leisure facilities at Woolwich Waves and that you are finding the new Better App easy to navigate!
We are also pleased to hear you find the centre clean and well-organised, and we will pass your feedback on!
Kind Regards
Amir
The centre need more basic courses for…
The centre needs more basic courses for people who wish to improve their general fitness.
2 March 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Linda,
Thank you for your review!
We greatly appreciate your feedback regarding the range of courses we offer.
We'd be more than happy to share this with the general team for further review.
Thank you again for your feedback!
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for your lovely review!
We're overjoyed that you find our team very professional and polite.
We also greatly appreciate your 5-star award.
We can't wait to see you again soon!
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
The place is very clean more over the…
The place is very clean more over the staff are very professional and respectful the place is very big
24 May 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Hana
Thank you for your review.
We are delighted you found the centre clean, spacious, and our team professional and respectful.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Kind Regards
Amir
Be careful
I was long thinking whether I should add a comment or not, but I had to let the other parents know about the accident we had at this waterpool.
On Saturday, 9 May my daughter went on the green waterslide and hit her head inside the slide which resulted in a cut to her head, 5-7cm long (which has been later fixed at the hospital). This slide is not safe for the children, especially younger, slimmer children (my daughter is 10 yrs old).
What surprised me the most, they took my contact details, filled in the accident form, but then there was no follow up with us to question, how did it happen, do they need to take any actions, double check the inside of the slide, etc. No actions, no investigation, not even to ask which slide it was. Maybe there is a part inside which caused the cut to her head! Nothing, and the slide runs as it was before. For that part I am very disappointed!
9 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Milda,
Thank you for your review!
We understand that you left a similar review via Google, which we're currently investigating.
We'll update you shortly regarding this, and we're more than happy to contact you further if needed.
Thank you for your patience!
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
Sons swimming lessons
Really pleased with my sons swimming Teacher Nicola on a Monday evening. He has now moved up to development!
Fantastic teacher, very helpful!
11 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Mrs Smallwood,
Thank you for your incredible review!
We're so happy that you're really pleased with your son's swim teacher, Nicola.
It's amazing to know that she's been very helpful and fantastic.
We're also overjoyed that he's progressed to our development group.
We can't wait to see you again soon!
Warm Regards,
Kaisha
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Dear Abiodun
Thank you for your feedback.
We are delighted to learn that the staff at Woolwich Waves have been helpful and have delivered the high standard of service that we take pride in.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Kind regards
Rachel
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Paul
Thanks for your review.
We are so pleased to hear that you are enjoying Woolwich Waves Leisure Centre, and that the team have been friendly.
We hope to welcome you back soon.
Kind Regards
Rachel
Classes and structures need to be sorted asap
It’s a stunning space. I’ll give it that!
However I feel hugely let down by the timings of the most popular classes and reduction in some.
Firstly, and this really needs to change. The first classes are at 9am?? What are people working from 8/9am supposed to do? I joined this gym for the classes.
Pilates, should have double the amount. And twice a week at least starting at 6.30/7am.
Zahara and Michaela are great instructors, however I don’t feel the others are as strong at guidance (breathing and movement) and therefore only some of the classes are worth going to.
Barre has been cut to 1/3 of the size and that is by far the hardest class to get into and there’s no more being added to the timetable?
Many small tweaks could really see this at a 4.5/5 but I feel like I’m not getting what I should from the Monthly payments.
I really hope whoever is reading this takes it onboard because it’s being discussed at length amongst members. Easy fixes quick wins.
Response to response:
Definitely appreciate that there have been changes, we are paying more monthly now (which is significant) and with the standard of the establishment there are expectations so my review stands the same. The majority of gyms have classes from 6.30/7am (not virtual)
Thanks for responding!
25 April 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Yasmina
UPDATE: Please see the reply from the management of the facility:
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review.
Since moving from Waterfront to Woolwich Waves, we have grown the fitness class timetable from 55 classes a week to 101, and we are looking to further expand to meet the demand.
On the early morning point, we do have classes before 9am, Bootcamp at 07:15 on several mornings, HIIT at 07:30 on Thursdays, and Group Cycle at 06:30 on Mondays is coming soon, for example. We have taken your point about Pilates specifically, that's a gap we will look into.
On instructor quality, thank you for the kind words about Zahara and Michaela. Feedback on this is genuinely useful for us, so if you'd like to share anything more specific, please do reach out directly and we'll make sure it gets to the right people.
We're actively working to grow and refine the programme, and hope you'll be able to enjoy more of our classes soon.
The experience I had was overwhelming…
The experience I had was overwhelming in a good way it gave me confidence to go to the gym. In past I have signed with for gym membership but but did not have confidence to go. The Equipment is really good and the staff are very helpful. When they are available.
22 April 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Amarjit,
Thank you for sharing your experience!
We’re so pleased that the environment on your visit helped build your confidence in coming to the gym, especially if that’s been a challenge in the past.
It’s also good to know the team have been helpful when available.
We appreciate your feedback on this and will share it with the centre to make sure we’re as accessible and supportive as possible.
We hope to keep seeing you in the gym and continue supporting you on your journey.
Warm regards,
Azaria
Only one flat chest press
Only one flat chest press. I've been waiting for hours to become available. Rude customers
11 April 2026
Reply from Better - Woolwich Waves
Hi Athanasios
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry to hear about the situation at Woolwich Waves regarding the limited number of bench presses available and the rude members.
I can confirm that the squat racks can be used for flat chest presses, and we also have dumbbells available, with weights up to 50 kg, that can be utilised!
Kind Regards
Amir
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