Shepperton Splash — Attraction in Borough of Spelthorne

Took my Neurodivergent 12yo son there today. Place is run by 20 year old university students who seem very inexperienced. Made him swim to the platform twice (so 4 times) but decided his swimming wasn't good enough largely because he panicked when getting in the water (many people with ASC pull funny faces - in this case over the cold water and it wasn't panic) and I explained he is dyspraxic so his swimming form wouldn't be that amazing - yet he made it 4 times further than the other people on the course. I did explain however that my son has had extensive experience in wild swimming spots - has been for a few years swimming in rivers and lakes with me, spent 4 hours jumping off a cliff into a mild current last year in Mexico, spent three weeks swimming in the sea and in the ceynotes, goes water skiing with British Waterski and Wakeboard, has weekly swimming lessons and as little as three weeks ago, did the obstacle course many times with no life vest in Hampton Pool. Not one single person from those organisations has said that he was unsafe to do those activities. I also explained that I was brought up in a country where wild swimming is the norm, I would swim every day in the summer - I had been brought up in one of the most dangerous surf beaches of the country since I was a baby and I was a strong swimmer. (I also didn't mention that I hold an advanced Open Water Dive Certificate and have been on several strong current dives in the Galapogas). I was his 1:1 helper. I get why the staff at Liquid Leisure are feeling jumpy after the death of the girl in Windsor last year, but I wasn't going to take my son unless I was fully confident that he would be fine in the water with a buoyancy aid. There was nowhere else for us to swim either. To top it off they refused to refund our entry fee and the 20 year old girl at the till was very obstinate and insisting that because we signed the ts and Cs, couldn't do anything about it. I mentioned the Equalities Act 2010 and the Consumer Rights Act which she seemed to be unaware of. Needless to say this caused my autistic son a huge amount of distress and rightfully so.

This is clearly a disability discrimination case as the staff seemed to have no training on disability and making reasonable adjustments.They might reply to this review saying it wasn't safe, but then why are they calling out he wasn't safe when countless other lifeguards have said it was and it has been proven.

I am also calling out the contract may still not be legal despite them saying this in the terms and conditions as: the cancellation charge seems unfair the business is holding or demanding more money than needed to cover their financial loss (in this case there were many other people on the same session, the staff would have been paid the same regardless if we were there or not). I am going to seek further advice and redress if necessary.

Stuart Marston, the owner of Liquid Leisure is quoted last year as saying with respect to the closure of the Windsor Site - “Losing children’s activities that help build confidence in the water with their peers and reducing safe access to water for thousands of residents in the summer months really scares me." This statement seems quite contradictory to me in light of our experience. If he was really dedicated to gaining children's confidence in the water then he would provide safer areas for children who may not be confident in the water to learn these vital skills - rather than just putting up barriers and traumatising them from the outset (see another recent 1 star review about a 6 year old).There are very few places in the UK that children can experience this. In my home country, a very large portion of those who died by acccidental drowning is by immigrants who are unaware of the local conditions. Excluding people from these areas is actually a more dangerous strategy.

In short, if you feel strongly about equal access to leisure facilites, you will join me in boycotting...

Today, our family had the opportunity to visit Liquid Leisure Shepperton for the first time, which we were excited about, especially considering the hot weather in London. Despite the considerable distance we travelled from North London (1h30 in the car), we believed it would be a worthwhile experience. My 6 yo is confident in the water and receives swimming lessons, we had no issues as we entered the water: he was able to swim by himself all the way to the first floating platform and was so excited and happy (he also had similar happy experiences in other water park in the 3 lakes Camping)

However, our experience took a disappointing turn when the lifeguards insisted that our little one jump into the water. While my son usually has no qualms about jumping, he felt reluctant to do so under the pressure exerted by the lifeguard, particularly since he had forgotten his goggles.

I want to emphasize that I understand and appreciate the importance of safety measures for the well-being of our children.

What truly upset me was not the need to adhere to the rules but rather how the situation was handled. My son was visibly distressed, tearfully expressing feelings of inadequacy ("mum- I am not good enough"), and I did my best to comfort him. Unfortunately, none of the staff members offered a kind and reassuring word to console him. At the very least, I expected a refund without question. The staff justified their actions by claiming it was for the safety of the child. As his mother, I would have naturally stayed with him the entire time. We didn't even intend to venture onto the platform or participate in jumping activities; we simply wanted to enjoy swimming freely in the water. It's disheartening to wonder why this was not allowed.

Needless to say, I am deeply upset, especially considering that no where on the website was ever mentioned about the potential "jump test" (and I would have considered not going then). I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this venue to others who have young children like mine. I wouldn't want anyone to risk being treated in the same manner we were. It seems that this establishment prioritizes financial gain over the well-being and satisfaction of its customers, which I find truly disappointing and disheartening (we never got a refund for both my child and I, which made us losing more than 30 pounds).

If I could put less than one...

I approached Liquid Leasure to see how flexible and accommodating they would be to provide a one to two introductory lesson for paddle boarding for my children. As I am disabled I couldn't join them and required Liquid Leasure to teach and of course keep them safe.

Well, all my worries, concerns just simply got removed by the two lovely and helpful Emma's we booked a date and the boys eagerly awaited the day.

The day arrived the boys got suited up, (wetsuit & boyancy jacket provided) Emma took them down to the quay, gave them a short calm and fun instruction prior to hopping on the boards and off they went with Emma instructing as they knelt on the board with slight wobbles but lots of smiles.

Before I knew it the boys were standing up and off they went.

40 minutes later and what 40 minutes difference makes, the boys confident paddling backwards, forward, stop and starting using the paddles as if they have been paddle boarding for years, it was wonderful to see.

Well the day hadn't ended, "right kayaks" Emma shouted and off they went again.

The boys can't wait to go again, my 10 year olds loved it. Thank you Liquid Leasure.

Liquid Leasure provides fantastic facilities, helpful team, great teaching and safe environment they looked after my sons, gave my sons an introduction to paddle boarding which has made...