The Sands Centre

gillrhaydon

08 Jun 2026

First class Changing Places changing room for swimming pool

5

5

Date of visit: June 2026

I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.

I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, powerchair, toilet with hoist

Overall Rating

Excellent

This wonderful facility is key (along with my exceptional carers) to my rehabilitation. The Changing Places changing room at The Pools, Sands Centre, Carlisle, gives me the chance to experience swimming again, even though I have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, which means I'm fully hoisted and powerchair bound. Why is this such a gamechanger? 1. Overhead ceiling hoist covering whole LARGE changing room. 2. Adult size moveable shower trolley with drain. 3. Accessible toilet and shower within the changing room. 4. Enough room for my powerchair, 2 carers, me and the pool transfer chair plus the shower, shower trolley, privacy screens and 3 gymbags! 5. Level access throughout. 6. It's always clean and everything works as it should.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

The Sands Centre has: Automatic entrance doors. Shallow angle ramp to changing rooms. Reception desk has wheelchair under counter space for electronic badge sign in and car park registration. Changing Places changing room is well signposted inside pools area.

Accessible facilities: Single-level venue, Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals

Parking & Transport

Good

I travelled to this place by personal vehicle

Free parking for disabled badge holders (must be displayed). Plenty of disabled spaces even though I attend a weekly disability swim session (so pressure on exactly these spaces!).

Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking

Accessible Toilets

Toilet has grab rails and hoist access within Changing Places changing room. Always clean and ready to use. Shower is hot and powerful. Pool staff are friendly and helpful. They operate the pool hoist. Pool transfer chairs to pool hoist are available (and often at least 1 is kept in the Changing Places changing room).

Additional Information

Without this facility, I would have sunk into depression by now and become even more immobile. Standard swimming pool changing rooms are not accessible for me. Every public swimming pool should have a Changing Places one. I'm lucky my local one does!

Comments

gillrhaydon

08 Jun 2026

Should say shower is hot and powerful.

gillrhaydon

08 Jun 2026

Should say every public swimming pool should have a Changing Places changing room.

remus

24 Jun 2026

Thank you for your fantastic review keep up the fantastic work! thank you!