Families left freezing as Sydenham leisure centre’s boiler is broken for more than a month
Families were left shivering in the cold as the boiler for a leisure centre was out of action for more than a month.
Showers ran cold and there was no heating at The Bridge Leisure Centre in Sydenham, as engineers struggled to repair the central heating.
Mum Alex O’Reilly was one of the thousands of mothers who had to endure the freezing conditions while watching her children swim and exercise.
“Our hands were frozen and we had to wear coats inside all the time,” said Alex, who takes children there for trampolining every Tuesday.
“I saw a teacher in a hat, a scarf and a big jacket and she had to be there most of the day at least until 8pm. It must have been terrible.
“Fusion, who run it, did not seem to care – the problem started in mid-January and continued for a month during the really cold early days of January.
“There was no hot water to wash your hands – and the cafe didn’t have any either, which is not healthy at all. There did not seem to be any rush to repair the problem. It was ridiculous.
“Children and teachers were there for hours at a time and there seemed to be no attempt to explain the problem and tell them when it would be fixed.
“There was a small notice saying there was no hot water in the showers.
“It might have been refurbished in the last 15 years but the whole place needs to be knocked down and built again.
“The only showers working were the poolside ones and they were lukewarm at best.”
A spokeswoman for leisure operators Fusion said: “We had experienced technical issues with the boiler at The Bridge Leisure Centre and as a result this was affecting the heating in some areas of the facility.
“We had been working to rectify this issue. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused during this time.
“The further repairs have worked and are now complete with all facilities operating as usual.”
The Bridge, a former British Petroleum staff leisure centre, was handed over to Lewisham council’s control in 1996.
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In fact the heating is only back on in part of the building, and is not “completed”. The technician cleaned the boiler but it still requires new parts and he informed us it would currently last a week or two at best… Fusion do not care. There is no urgency to get anything done. The heating is just a fraction of the issues our community suffer at this site