Deptford pool opens again after £800,000 refit

A leisure centre, which residents believed might never open again, has relaunched after an £800,000 refit.

Swimmers launched a petition saying they feared for Wavelengths in Griffin Road, Deptford, after it closed at the start of lockdown needing hundreds of thousands of pounds of repairs.

But it was officially opened on Sunday 9 January 2022 after the refurb by Lewisham Council.

Its leisure pool in Deptford now has a brand new parent and child teaching pool, state-of-the-art lighting, showers and toilets and a completely rebuilt changing area with larger cubicles.

The “Aquasplash” inflatable sessions will start in the pool soon providing a fun challenge for older teenagers to take on the floating obstacle course and race their friends. The new dedicated viewing area beside the pool means parents/guardians can watch the fun without having to get wet.

New motors have been installed meaning that the temperature in different parts of the pool areas can now be adjusted to different levels. The parent and child pool is warmer than the main pool at 32°C to suit the little ones and the jacuzzi is a lovely and balmy 34°C.

Wavelengths Leisure Centre also has an additional fitness pool, a 50 station gym with three fitness studios and a range of fitness classes from Group Cycle to Zumba. The first-floor soft play offers a space for younger children to have fun and burn some energy.

Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has worked so hard on the refurbishment of Wavelengths and also the community groups who have helped us with this refurbishment. I hope that people enjoy the new pool and that many more residents, young and old, will learn to swim there.”

Cllr André Bourne, Cabinet Member responsible for Leisure Centres said: “This refurbishment has been completed in recognition of how important the pool is to local residents, so it was great to see the excitement as people saw the new facilities for the first time – I really enjoyed taking my young children down there at the weekend. I know how much the pool has been missed in Deptford over the last few months whilst this refurbishment has been happening. I’m pleased with our investment in a wonderful community asset that local people can enjoy for years to come.”

Speaking on behalf of leisure partner Better, Jon Mann, General Manager of Wavelengths Leisure Centre said: “As the UK’s foremost charitable leisure social enterprise, Better exist to get more people more active more often – and in doing so improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of local communities. We work very hard to reduce barriers to participation and improve the customer experience. All our staff are looking forward to a busy and fun-filled year at Wavelengths Leisure Centre with these newly refurbished facilities and we guarantee a warm welcome to all our visitors.”