Unsafe, Exclusionary, and Disrespectful to Members
Oxford Brookes Gym at Harcourt Hill is shockingly poor. Much of the equipment is damaged — some of it dangerously so — and they seem in no hurry to fix or replace anything. Lower-weight options are routinely missing, which excludes women, beginners, and disabled users. It’s not just bad service — it’s discriminatory.
The swimming pool? Permanently shut. Yet somehow, prices keep going up. No upgrades, no transparency — just higher fees for fewer facilities.
They close the gym on weekdays from 2–4pm with zero explanation, and when it is open, they hire it out to a rugby team that takes over the space and leaves nothing for paying members. Women members in particular aren’t able to use the weights when the male rugby team enters and dominates the space. You’re essentially funding someone else’s private training session.
The gym is filthy, mud strewn, with broken equipment and a strong sense that no one cares. Access cards constantly malfunction, and staff respond to problems with rudeness or blank stares.
Concerningly, a male staff member told me that if I’d been “nicer to him,” he would have bent the rules and given me after-hours access. That kind of comment isn’t just inappropriate — it makes women feel unsafe. It reinforces a culture where access is conditional on compliance or flattery, not fairness.
But worst of all: when I raised these legitimate safety and accessibility concerns, they didn’t investigate — they cancelled my membership and falsely accused me of breaching terms and conditions. A clear case of retaliating against whistleblowing. That’s not customer service — that’s retaliation.
Avoid at all costs if you want a gym that’s safe, inclusive, and professionally run. This is none of those things.