Billingham Forum — Local services in Billingham

Today me and a group of friends made our way to splash in Stockton in the hopes to all go swimming. We were told it was closed and the next available session were for adults with babies so they told us to come to the Billingham Forum as they had a "free swim" session at that time. We ran to get the bus and paid to go into the swimming baths area. When we got in the pool, we were met with rude life guards and misinformation. They told us the only thing we could do was do laps. Me and my friends listened and done the laps around the pool like we were told to. We didn't stay for the whole hour we paid for because we felt like we had been lied to about what we could do in the pool by the other members of staff who work for tees active. We were getting changed and once we left we were met with a "manager" who told us to leave even though we already were. This was a disgrace as we were lied to by the other tees active staff and misjudged by the lifeguards with our intentions on what we were doing. There were apparently many complaints about us but what else were we supposed to do when we were promised with a pool that we could easily swim in with no worries. They said no refunds and no apologies. 0 stars if I could give it. Terrible staff. Do NOT come here if you are looking to have a fun time with friends or anyone with...

Please teach your staff, especially the first aiders that told me my ankle wasn't broken (this happened at the ice rink at a lesson) because I wasn't screaming in pain that it was indeed broken. I proceeded to ask for a refund over the phone for the rest of the lessons I was not able to attend anymore due to the situation and trauma caused, was told I needed to go in person to show proof when I was in hospital and not allowed to weight bear, was housebound for 5 weeks. Considering I had paperwork from hospital I sent over it was not enough I had to ring head office for them to finally refund after a million attempts. Funny enough after the incident 2 days later the whole ice rink closed down for health and safety. I wonder how safe it was in those 2 days. This ice rink is not safe at all, after the lessons when everyone join in, noone keeps an eye on what's going on, its absolute chaos, people just push eachother around. The equipment is absolutely knackered, thanks to which I ended up in hospital. After over 14 weeks I'm still recovering, need a ton of physio and have a metal plate and screws in for life. You really don't want a description of the horrors I've had to live through, being strapped to a chair to get carried over stairs, dragging myself on floors, having to self inject...

Wow, I had the bestest time at the ice skating rink! It was my first time ever, and it was super duper fun!

When I walked in, I saw a big, shiny ice rink. It looked so cool! There were lots of people skating around, and some of them were doing tricks and spins. They were really good!

But you know what made it even better? They had these cute penguin helpers! They were like special friends that helped me stay steady on the ice. I held onto them, and they kept me from falling. They were so fluffy and adorable!

The ice was so smooth, and I loved sliding and gliding on it. Sometimes I wobbled a little, but the penguin helpers were there to help me. They made me feel safe and confident. I even tried to skate by myself for a little bit!

The people who worked at the rink were really nice. They helped me put on my skates and gave me tips on how to skate better. They smiled a lot and cheered when I did a good job. It made me feel really happy!

I had the most amazing time at the ice skating rink. If you want to try ice skating, I think you'll have so much fun too. The penguin helpers are the best, and the ice is so cool to slide on. Just remember to bring warm clothes and have a grown-up with you. It's a super cool place to have a...