How to challenge mixed changing at local pool

[SomeOriginalUserName]

I usually lurk & learn but can't find anything with a search, so can anyone help?

My local pool, owned by the council but signed over to Everyone Active to run, has used the Covid19 situation as an excuse to replace single-sex changing with mixed changing areas.

They claim this is to comply with one direction flow requirements - the separate areas are on either side of a central corridor. Entry is now on the left of the corridor, the same side the men's area is on, and this is now a mixed area. The women's area is on the right and, inexplicably, is completely closed off: People exit on that side so no one can use it. Real nonsense.

I've suggested separate times for male & female, or finding another area somewhere else in the large centre for a second change area, but the male manager has completely dismissed me.

I've cited the Equality Act and single-sex provision. Ignored.

I've countered his 'but there are cubicles' argument by explaining that the 2 foot gap at the top and bottom of the changing stalls and shower stalls are nowhere near offering security and privacy, but he's dismissed me. He's made some references to these meeting standards for Swim England and Sport England?!? And when I've referred him to figures on sexual assaults in leisure centres and info on up-skirting and men shoving cameras under gaps to take photos, he's gone on about gaps being necessary to clean!

And he really isn't interested when I point out that failure to provide safe, private single-sex facilities is exactly why women and girls stop doing sport - because we're effectively shut out.

I understand the guidance about coming ready to swim: I had my costume on under my clothes. But I still need a safe, private area away from men to undress, check my tampon, use the loos, and to shower and change afterwards - I'm not going to put my clothes on over a wet costume and get the bus home before being able to wash out the dirt and chemicals of the pool.

And the excuses he's given for not providing this just don't cut it.

They won't put the info about removing single-sex changing on the website tho - afraid of the publicity I suppose - so women are paying and booking swim sessions only to have to turn around and leave when they discover the situation. I'm not the only one whose complained, but I'm not sure what to do next.

I've emailed the local council, since they own the site and Everyone Active has claimed they're okay with the mixed changing.

And I'm going to write to head office to ask why they think they can ignore the Equality Act, dismiss women's concerns and bar them from the pool unless they're willing to compromise their safety.

Anything else I can do?

Everyone Active have form for failing to provide single-sex facilities in other centres they run and I really don't want to see this happening at my local pool.

(GGGrrrr - waiting all year for the pool to re-open and now the hottest summer ever and I can't swim unless I agree to put myself in an unsafe situation. )

@randomsabreuse

Been forced to travel in wet swimming kit by Covid restrictions, it's not that horrendous in summer. Been a fact of life for a while and worth it to get some swimming in...

Winter is Coming. I have to take two buses to get to my local swimming pool and get back. How do you think I fancy the thought of standing at the bus stop, with wet clothes?

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10807028.why-didnt-leisure-centre-act-faster-when-i-alerted-them-to-man-filming-in-cubicle/
Everyone Active Bournemouth this time.

Winter is Coming. I have to take two buses to get to my local swimming pool and get back. How do you think I fancy the thought of standing at the bus stop, with wet clothes?

Exactly and given that ii has been known to snow in the British Summer , not that great standing at the bus stop in wet clothes even in August.

I used to go swimming three times a week. The old pool had single-sex facilities - changing rooms with cubicles, showers and toilets. Then we got a new pool with a badly designed mixed-sex changing area, shared showers and single-sex toilets in separate rooms.

At first I still tried to go through the day to swim myself and three evenings a week I was there with my DC as they did swim training.

The whole atmosphere changed. Blokes standing around chatting, ogling everyone while the women and girls tried to get in and out as fast as possible. It had become a male space. Hardly anyone dried their hair, because that was in full view of the men and teenage boys who made constant remarks.

Cubicles with space above and below of course, so harassment was rife. I complained several times, not for me, but because I couldn't stomach the teen girls from the swim club constantly being harassed. Before we all stopped going, the swimming pool had decided to have a member of staff supervising the changing room (which was also open to the actual pool), just to stop the constant harassment. But if you asked management, they would tell you that they had no problems whatsoever with sexual assaults and harassment, because not once when I reported incidents did they ever write anything down (I know better now. Now I would insist on them doing so.)

I completely stopped going for three years but just before Covid hit I got angry that I'd allowed myself to be stopped from doing something I enjoyed and that was good for me, so I went back.

To be greeted by a big sign up on the wall saying that walking around without swimming trunks on was not permitted.

Turns out I wasn't the only female swimmer to stop going. The place got worse. Given my previous experience in that changing room, I picked a cubicle at the end, where one side and back was the tiled wall. That way I only had to keep an eye on the door and the other wall. But on the way there, I walked past what I thought was an empty cubicle coz the door was open. Well, no. Bloke was changing inside, feeling no need to shut the door. When I shared that experience with other women, they told me that's quite normal now for that changing room.

Now, don't get me wrong, blokes changing with the door open will rarely be because the dude is an exhibitionist. It's because they are not bothered about privacy and they're definitely not bothered that they're sharing the space with women and girls most of whom don't want to see a stranger naked. Consideration for others is just not high on the agenda for such men.

I felt so uncomfortable changing that I have no intention of going back. Next time I'll be trying out the swimming pools in neighbouring towns, to see if they're any different.

And for those who suggest keeping your costume on afterwards, even in summer it's rarely warm enough here to not risk your health in walking around with a wet costume on. So that is not an option. I'd prefer a safe changing room.

Btw, mixed-sex changing facilities can be designed with safety and privacy in mind. I've used such facilities and without issues. But the open-plan "changing village" style so popular in the UK does not qualify as safe or private.

Our everyone active has always been like this.

Our new one is shared space there are two members of staff around at all times everyone closes there doors and its a respectful atmosphere we have separate sex based toilets however ive not seen any Muslim women or men swimming at our new pool in our old pool we did and we are quite a diverse town so there is an entire community that is being excluded

There’s several pools local to me but I always choose the one with the mixed changing so I can take my sons in with me. Having the option of single sex is fair enough but it would piss me off if that’s all that was available.

I use a mixed sex changing space at my local pool. And one where the locks don't always work. I remember one particular time when I saw a naked man wandering around naked. He was unaware it was mixed sex. The look of shock on his face when he saw me. I suspect some men don't like it either.

Unisex changing village at my local pool too. It is a newish pool though (under 20 years) and there were separate sex facilities in the previous pool that was demolished. I am not keen because of the under-door or under-wall security issue but I have never heard of an issue there. Does not mean there has not been an issue of course.

Such villages are useful for mixed sex families - Dad with kids, especially if they are not all his (daughter and her friends for example) as it means he can get changed within ear shot and he knows they are safe. Means women don't always have to have the kids! And it must be useful if you helping someone of the opposite sex with learning difficulties or physical issues who might need a bit of help (if your spouse has arthritic hands perhaps) But I wish there was a small changing village along side more extensive conventional single sex provision.

On the plus side it is better than ones of my youth where changing cubicles lined the actual side of the pool and had ill fitting curtains that wafted...

I’m so used to changing under a towel for beach swimming it wouldn’t bother me, but I can see the issues here.

Cubicles give an illusion of privacy, so that you don’t trouble with the towel wrestling.

Another Everyone Active centre
www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/staines-man-caught-looking-woman-18733490

@SomeOriginalUserName

Seriously?

Mixed-sex changing areas are usually just plywood cubicles with large gaps at top & bottom for both the changing and shower areas? Jeebus!

I wouldn't mind people walking around naked in a single-sex open area, so long as they were all female (or little kids, of course - but there are large family cubicles, more like rooms).

So sad to think I've been lucky to have felt safe swimming all these years when so many women were put into those situations.

It explains why I couldn't find any info on how to challenge this online - no one is challenging it!

That's our pool yes

My local pool is also Everyone Active and since the old pool was demolished and the new one built, it is also a unisex changing village with different size cubicles. I actually thought it was quite practical, especially for mums to take sons swimming, or dads daughters, and I've not heard of any concerns about ogling, cameras or naked men showering in the public showers.

There are a couple of lockable cubicles for showering, and I suppose if you were really concerned about the cubicles you could change in the single sex loos.

Most people in our area just like to moan about the price of swimming lessons...or the cleanliness of the changing rooms, but that was at the old centre (they were a bit grim).

There would be an uproar in our town if it was not mixed sex tbh, as very frequently it's dads with daughters etc. Showers are in full view of pool and cafe and swimwear is obviously kept on.

Yes , properly run and properly designed mixed sex changing can be a boon for families and the disabled. However, there are risks and companies like Everyone Active are well aware of these risks, so what are they doing to eliminate the risk to women and children? The above crimes committed in their centres are spaced out over quite a long period so it is obvious that women's safety can't be one of their priorities or the recent crimes would not have occurred.
Every sports centre which from now on features as the scene of a crime of voyeurism, has always been aware of the problem and has probably had several incidences of these crimes in the past. So why are these crimes continuing to occur?

Question - in the leisure centres that have unisex changing villages for swimming, do they also have unisex changing for gym users? One leisure centre I used had separate sex changing for gym but not for the pool. What is the logic behind that?

Ours has a single sex changing room for the gym and mixed for swimming. I used the cubicles in the swimming section and the showers there when I go to gym classes as I really do not like being in a small room with a lot of other women who seem to want to parade about in their nudity in an ostentatious way. I did in fact cancel my membership with a private gym for this reason too, lovely facilities but the drying of pubes with the hairdryer brigade were out in full force there.

@jewel1968

Question - in the leisure centres that have unisex changing villages for swimming, do they also have unisex changing for gym users? One leisure centre I used had separate sex changing for gym but not for the pool. What is the logic behind that?

Maybe because they don't let young children into the gym so they don't need family changing.

@ExConstance

Ours has a single sex changing room for the gym and mixed for swimming. I used the cubicles in the swimming section and the showers there when I go to gym classes as I really do not like being in a small room with a lot of other women who seem to want to parade about in their nudity in an ostentatious way. I did in fact cancel my membership with a private gym for this reason too, lovely facilities but the drying of pubes with the hairdryer brigade were out in full force there.

Yes to be honest I also prefer the mixed cubicle changing rather than the big open plan communal single sex changing room we had before - the other women would chat to each other with nothing on and I am too much of a prude and used to have to hide behind a towel or go into one of the few cubicles.

Question - in the leisure centres that have unisex changing villages for swimming, do they also have unisex changing for gym users? One leisure centre I used had separate sex changing for gym but not for the pool. What is the logic behind that?

I presume because families are less likely to be using the gym.
Given the voyeurism problems in the mixed sex areas, maybe the answer is family changing areas with separate single sex areas for other swimmers.

Our has single sex for the gym and only unisex for the swimming.
Although there was a big hooha a couple years ago about the gym changing, because it's also used by the kids getting changed for gymnastics classes. Adults were taking their younger kids into the changing room for the adult's sex, so a dad bringing his 5 year old to gymnastics would take them into the men's changing room. Older kids went in alone to the room for their own sex.
The changing rooms are still being used by adults at the same time, and men were complaining about having girls in the changing room. They are open plan with only a few cubicles and the shirts just off the the side with curtains so men were uncomfortable walking out from the showers and seeing young girls standing around waiting for a cubicle. The men couldnt use a cubicle because the girls were waiting and they felt they couldnt just be naked in the open plan changing because the girls were standing around. Everyone agreed that it just wasnt working.

So the centre stuck up a sign on the door of the men's which said, "if you have a daughter please accompany them into the women's changing facility". So grown men were now sitting in the women's changing, were women were walking out of the showers into the open plan to see all these dad's sitting around so women now could not change. Again, only a couple of cubicles in there. the rest is open plan changing with the showers off down the side. It was a whole thing.

The centre finally just made a rule that all the gymnastic kids had to come already dressed or use the swimming pool changing rooms because that's all cubicles and no open plan.

*showers just off to the side with curtains

Unisex changing areas we're a godsend when the children were small, meant we could work as a team.

@Seasidemumma77

Unisex changing areas we're a godsend when the children were small, meant we could work as a team.

Agreed. But changing in a room with MY husband doesn't mean any other woman wants him near her. I know he's not a threat but no one else does.

Family rooms are the answer. With floor to ceiling doors.