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Terms of Use

Cheltenham Lido – Terms of Use

Our aim is to provide a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for everyone visiting Cheltenham Lido. By entering and using the Lido, visitors agree to comply with these Terms of Use and to follow all reasonable instructions given by our team.

Swimming Pools

To help maintain water quality, we ask all swimmers to shower before entering the pools.

Pool Rules

For the safety and enjoyment of everyone:

  • No water pistols.
  • Children over the age of 8 are not permitted in the children’s pool.
  • No food or drink may be consumed in the pools.
  • Photography or filming is not permitted while in the pool water.
  • No hard balls.
  • No snorkels or masks.
  • No running on the poolside.
  • No diving in the shallow end of the main pool or in the children’s pool.
  • No large inflatables.
  • Smoking and vaping are not permitted on site. A designated smoking area is available in the car park.
  • Alcohol and illegal drugs must not be brought onto or consumed on site.
  • Abusive, threatening or inappropriate behaviour towards staff or other visitors will not be tolerated.

In an emergency, you must leave the pool immediately and follow the instructions of the lifeguards.

During lane swimming, lifeguards may ask swimmers to change lanes where they consider another lane more appropriate for their swimming speed.

Admission and General Use

  • Admission is subject to published opening times, session availability and maximum site capacity.
  • Visitors are encouraged to pre-book online. During busy periods, priority may be given to customers with a valid booking.
  • All visitors must pay the appropriate admission fee or present a valid Season Ticket before entering.
  • We reserve the right to request evidence of eligibility for concessionary tickets.
  • Children under 8 must be accompanied at all times by a responsible person aged 16 or over. One responsible adult may supervise a maximum of two children under 8. We strongly recommend one-to-one supervision for children under 5.
  • Parents and guardians remain responsible for the safety and behaviour of children in their care. Lifeguards provide general supervision of the pools but are not a substitute for parental or guardian supervision.
  • Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, behaving in an abusive, threatening, intimidating or disruptive manner, or presenting a risk to the safety or enjoyment of others may be refused admission or required to leave.

Cheltenham Lido reserves the right to refuse admission, remove a person from the premises, or suspend or permanently withdraw membership or future admission where these Terms of Use have been breached or where this is necessary to protect the safety, welfare or enjoyment of staff and visitors.

Where appropriate, incidents may be reported to the police or other relevant authorities.

Appropriate Swimwear

All swimmers must wear appropriate swimwear. Swimwear must be clean, safe, suitable for swimming and must not present a risk to the wearer or other pool users.

Cheltenham Lido welcomes people of all backgrounds, cultures, faiths, genders and identities. Additional garments worn for cultural, religious, medical or personal reasons are welcome provided they are designed for swimming, made from appropriate lightweight materials, fit securely and do not create a safety risk.

Everyday clothing, including denim, cotton T-shirts, tracksuits and other non-swimming garments, must not be worn in the pool. Clothing that is excessively loose, restrictive, ill-fitting or made from unsuitable materials is also not permitted.

Swimming shorts should:

  • Be specifically designed for swimming.
  • Provide appropriate coverage.
  • Be made from lightweight swimwear material.
  • Be cut above the knee.
  • Include a suitable internal lining or gusset.

Additional swim-specific garments, including modest swimwear, rash vests, swim leggings and swim hijabs, may be worn provided they are designed for swimming and do not compromise safety.

We recommend that babies and toddlers wear aqua nappies, which are available to purchase from Reception.

Management reserves the right to refuse the use of clothing considered unsafe or unsuitable for use in the pools.

Changing Rooms

To ensure everyone feels safe, comfortable and respected:

  • Respect the privacy and dignity of others.
  • Photography, filming, video recording and video calls are strictly prohibited in all changing rooms and toilets.
  • Harassment, intimidation, abusive behaviour or conduct that causes others to feel unsafe or uncomfortable will not be tolerated.
  • Children under 8 should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times and may use the changing room of their accompanying parent or responsible adult.
  • Please use the changing facilities appropriate to your needs while respecting the privacy of others.
  • Do not leave valuables unattended. Personal belongings remain the responsibility of their owner.
  • Please help us keep the facilities clean and tidy and place litter in the bins provided.
  • Report any behaviour that concerns you or makes you feel unsafe to a member of staff immediately.

Photography and Filming

We recognise that visitors may wish to take photographs and videos to capture memories of their visit. We must, however, balance this with the privacy, dignity and safeguarding of everyone using the Lido, particularly children and vulnerable people.

Visitors should only photograph or film members of their own family, friends or group and should be considerate of other people who may appear in the background.

Deliberately photographing or filming people you do not know in a way that causes concern, distress or intimidation, or makes them feel targeted or exploited, is not acceptable.

Where staff reasonably believe that photography or filming is inappropriate, intrusive or presents a safeguarding concern, they may require the individual to stop recording and, where appropriate, delete the images or footage and/or leave the premises.

Failure to comply with a reasonable request from staff may result in removal from the site and suspension or permanent withdrawal of membership or future admission.

Cheltenham Lido may impose a temporary or permanent ban where photography or filming has compromised the safety, wellbeing, dignity or enjoyment of others, even where no criminal offence has been committed.

Incidents involving children or other safeguarding concerns may be referred to the police or other appropriate authorities.

When You Should Not Swim

To protect your own health and that of other pool users, please do not swim if:

  • You are experiencing vomiting or diarrhoea or have experienced these symptoms within the previous 48 hours.
  • You have been diagnosed with Cryptosporidium. You must not swim for 14 days after diarrhoea has completely stopped, even if you otherwise feel well.
  • You have an infectious illness that could be passed to others.
  • You have an open wound or skin condition that cannot be adequately covered with a waterproof dressing.
  • You have been advised by a medical professional not to swim.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, clean and healthy environment.

Booking and Attendance

Season Ticket holders and day visitors may book sessions in advance.

If you are unable to attend a booked session or activity, please transfer or cancel your booking through the online portal wherever possible. Cancellations and transfers must be made at least 24 hours before the activity start time.

Failure to attend a booked activity without the required notice on three occasions within any 30-day period may result in the loss of advance booking rights for seven days.

Additional conditions:

  • During lane swimming, swimmers must be able to swim 50 metres confidently.
  • Refunds or transfers will not be provided because of poor weather unless Cheltenham Lido is required to close.
  • For safety reasons, customers arriving more than 15 minutes after a group fitness class has started will not be permitted to join the class.
  • All swimmers and visitors must leave the site within 30 minutes of the final whistle.

Loss or Damage to Property

Visitors are responsible for taking reasonable care of their personal belongings while at Cheltenham Lido. Personal belongings should not be left unattended.

Found items, including belongings left in lockers at the end of the day, will be removed and stored. Most items of clothing and equipment will be retained for up to four weeks, after which we reserve the right to dispose of them appropriately.

For hygiene reasons, certain personal items, including underwear, hairbrushes and combs, will not be retained.

CCTV

For the safety and security of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors, CCTV operates across Cheltenham Lido.

CCTV is used to help prevent and detect crime, support the safety and security of the site and assist with the management and investigation of incidents.

Footage is handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and is only accessed by authorised personnel where necessary.

By entering the premises, visitors acknowledge that CCTV recording is in operation.

Season Ticket Holders

Season Ticket holders wishing to use their entitlement to four hours’ free parking while visiting the Lido must ensure their vehicle registration is registered with us. If you have not already provided your vehicle registration, please contact admin@cheltenhamlido.co.uk.

If you wish to remain parked for longer than four hours, the additional parking period must be paid for at the parking machines before leaving the car park.

Season Tickets must be presented on every visit. Failure to produce a valid Season Ticket may result in the requirement to purchase a full-price admission ticket.

Respect for Our Staff and Visitors

Everyone has the right to enjoy Cheltenham Lido and to work here without experiencing abuse, harassment, intimidation or threatening behaviour.

We have zero tolerance for abusive, threatening, intimidating, discriminatory or aggressive behaviour towards staff, volunteers, contractors or fellow visitors, including verbal abuse, harassment, threatening language, physical intimidation or violence.

Anyone displaying unacceptable behaviour may be required to leave immediately. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the incident, membership or future admission may be suspended or permanently withdrawn and the matter may be reported to the police or other relevant authorities.

We ask everyone to treat our staff and fellow visitors with courtesy, consideration and respect.

Policy Links 

Please be aware of the following policies which might relate to your swim at Cheltenham Lido.