New Mills Leisure Centre staff ‘verbally abused’ by angry parents over cancelled swimming lessons

The centre’s manager Mark Simmons described how staff were ‘screamed’ and ‘sworn at’ after lessons were cancelled for children of parents who stopped their direct debit payments in March and April.

In a Facebook post Mr Simmons wrote how parents were now demanding a space back - however he added: “When you instruct a direct debit to cancel at the bank then this is a termination of the agreement.”

The centre manager said customers had been offered a freeze on their memberships - which the majority of parents had taken up.

However he added staff were working to reinstate lessons for children whose parents had cancelled their monthly payments.

He wrote: “We are currently working hard to ensure that people who have cancelled their direct debit instead of taking up the FREE freeze are able to get back onto the sessions but this takes time.

“Shouting and screaming at staff will not speed up this process.”

Speaking about parents’ need to save money during lockdown he wrote: “We have only done what you have asked us to do.

“We appreciate that financially some people felt the need to terminate direct debits due to job cuts, being self-employed and people being furloughed but this was something you have done not our staff.”

Mr Simmons added that ‘the majority’ of customers had been ‘excellent’ and thank them for their ‘continued support’.

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