1 /5 Olivia Alter: I cannot recommend this gym under its current ownership. My experience raised serious concerns about member safety, safeguarding processes, and the owner’s ability to respond appropriately to risk.
After being verbally abused and threatened by another member - an incident witnessed by others and captured on CCTV - the owner took no meaningful action. The member was not suspended, and the incident was described to me as a “heated disagreement,” even though I repeatedly stated I felt unsafe. I was encouraged to keep attending and “ignore” the individual if I met them again. When I asked for clarity on their safety measures, I was told that this might not be the gym for me. My requests for an incident report, safeguarding & complaints policies, insurance details, and confirmation that CCTV would be preserved went unanswered.
In my view, this response fell well short of a basic duty of care. A gym is a high-risk environment, and I believe any incident involving threats or aggressive behaviour should be handled promptly, transparently, and with member safety as the priority. Prior to this situation, I had already noticed ongoing issues with equipment not being put away and a lack of staff presence on the gym floor. Experiencing a serious incident on top of these concerns, and receiving what I felt was an inadequate and dismissive response, made it clear to me that this gym is not able to provide a safe or professionally managed environment.
For these reasons, I would not feel comfortable returning, and I cannot recommend this gym to others at this time.
EDIT: The owner’s response further cements my review. The incident was not an argument; CCTV and witness accounts would show that the individual sought me out to direct abuse and threats at me following an initial outburst when asked to empty their barbell. They were extremely angry, I was visibly distressed, no one stepped in. If the member was suspended, I was not informed until this reply (two weeks after the incident), so I cannot verify it. The refund came after the owner told me that the gym was not for me and I subsequently cancelled my membership due to concerns over safety and their response. I accepted the offer, while clarifying that this did not address the lack of timely action, safety measures, or the handling of the situation, including invalidating my experience (which continues here). I note the prompt public response to this review, while I am still waiting for a reply to the earlier requests mentioned.
