Introduction
Our aim is to make your membership of Towers Health & Racquets Club as enjoyable and stress free as possible. As part of our club ethos, we have tried to keep our Terms and Conditions simple and easy to understand. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask a staff member.
Please note that additional terms and conditions may apply to specific activities for which you sign up.
We reserve the right to make reasonable amendments to these Terms and Conditions from time to time and will inform you when this occurs.
Definitions
The following definitions apply in this document:
You: You and any linked member (adult or child) on your membership.
Linked Member: Anyone who is linked to your membership (e.g. husband, wife, partner or child/grandchild, living at the same address).
Membership Group – the membership of you and your linked members
We and Us: Towers Health & Racquets Club also known as Club Towers Ltd.
Your Club or The Club – the Towers Health and Racquets Club in Clapham Road, Bedford, MK41 6EL.
1. Responsibilities of Members within a Membership Group
These terms and conditions apply to all adult and child members who are part of your membership group, even if only one adult has formally signed, or checked the on-line box, as accepting them.
Every adult in your membership group is jointly and individually responsible under this agreement.
This means that:
- If one of those adults tells us to do anything in relation to the membership (including ending it) we will take that as authority from all of them;
- Each of those adults will be responsible for paying all the appropriate membership fees for themselves or any others within their membership group (whether adults or children); and
- Each of those adults will be responsible for paying any extra charges and fees incurred by them, others within their membership group, or their guests.
By accepting these terms and conditions of membership you and all linked members agree to abide by the Club Rules laid out in our separate Club Rules document. These Club Rules form part of your contract with the Club.
2. Membership – General Rules & Processes
Acceptance of an application for Membership at the Club is at our absolute discretion (although we will exercise our discretion reasonably, and in compliance with applicable laws). Membership entitles you to use the facilities available at the Club during the hours of your membership and subject to availability.
We offer different Membership categories. These membership categories, and the facilities associated with each, may change from time to time. You are entitled to enjoy the use of the facilities under your membership category. All facilities have their own operating hours and restrictions on use, and these may be changed from time to time. Details are provided within the Club and on our web-site.
Our memberships operate on a calendar month basis, starting from the 1st of the month. Fees are collected by Direct Debit on or around the 1st of the month. Our memberships run for an initial period of three full calendar months, called the Initial Term.
You cannot cancel your membership during the initial term.
After the initial term, our memberships run indefinitely from month to month, until cancelled.
If you wish to end your membership, it will finish on the last day of a calendar month and you must give more than one month’s notice of such cancellation. For example, if you wish to leave on 30th April, you must give notice on or before 31st March. Cancellation requests must be in writing and should be emailed to [email protected].
If you have a child linked to your membership, their membership fees are based on their age, and will increase automatically when they reach the next price band. When a child turns 19, they will become an independent adult member and will need to sign a new membership agreement.
The Club will be closed for up to 5 days per annum to allow for essential maintenance work, staff training and other purposes. These dates will be advertised well in advance. We also reserve the right to close the Club for maintenance purposes for a longer period if needed. If the Club is closed for more than one week at a time, we will refund you a proportionate amount of the subscription fee for the closure. Individual facilities may be closed from time to time due to maintenance or required repairs.
3. Joining the Club
New adult members joining the Club pay a one-off administration fee. If you subsequently leave the Club and then re-join, you will need to pay a second administration fee at the time you re-join.
When you join, you and all linked members in your membership group will have your photographs taken. This is to allow us to check your identity when you enter the Club. Members without a photograph on the system cannot enter the Club.
If you change your mind about joining, simply tell us at any time up until (or on) the 1st of the month before your scheduled start date. You will receive a refund of any joining fee(s) paid, minus a £10.00 administrative fee p/adult. If you have already attended your welcome sessions, your joining fees will not be refunded.
4. Membership Cards & Club Entry
Once your membership is active, you can download our App and use this to generate a QR code, which will enable you to gain access to the club. If you do not have a smart phone, you may request a membership card.
You must have your Membership Card or QR code swipe available for security and verification on each visit to the Club. If you attend the Club without a valid Membership Card or QR code, you may be asked for proof of ID or be refused entry to the Club.
Your membership is personal to you and cannot be transferred to another person. You must not lend your membership card to another person or use your QR code to admit another person.
If another person uses your membership card or QR code to try to gain entry to the Club, we have the right to end your membership with immediate effect and with no refund due. Please see the section on ‘Cancelling your membership’.
To protect all of our members, we may ask to see another form of identification (besides your membership card) before we allow you into our Club.
If your Membership Card needs replacing you will need to pay a small £5 charge for each replacement. When your membership ends, you are required to surrender your Membership Card back to the Club.
5. Changing Membership Categories and Linked Members
No changes can be made to a membership during the Initial Term of 3 months, except for upgrades and additions.
All changes to a membership take place from the 1st of the month, and you will need to advise us in writing of the change by the 15th of the previous month (to enable direct debit changes to be made). Changes can include:
- Moving to a different membership plan.
- Adding items such as Premium Membership or Locker Rental.
- Adding a linked member to your membership (subject to any waiting list in operation and provided they qualify to be a member linked to you – a husband, wife, partner or child living at the same address).
- Removing a linked member (e.g. a husband/wife, partner or child leaving the Club)
- “De-linking” two linked adult members so that they both become individual members.
If one adult member leaves the Club from a linked membership, the member who remains will become an individual member. Any member who leaves (adult or child) needs to give one month’s notice, as described in Section 2, after the Initial Term.
If two adult members request to de-link, each member will become an individual member and we will need direct debit details for each.
6. Child/Junior Members
We are a family club and, as such, we warmly welcome junior members. However, junior members have a responsibility to behave reasonably. Similarly, parents and guardians are responsible for the behaviour of their children at all times within the Club and must ensure that this behaviour is reasonable.
Junior Members under the age of 16, must be under direct adult (parent or guardian) supervision at all times, unless involved in organised children’s activities, or supervised within our Kids Club.
Junior members must not put themselves or other people in danger or prevent other members from enjoying the Club or its facilities. If your child is behaving unreasonably, we have the right to speak to you or your child about this.
If your child continues to behave unreasonably, whether on one visit to the Club or over a number of visits, we will try to resolve the issue by meeting with you. If we cannot sort out the issue during the meeting, we have the right to suspend the child from using the Club.
If we suspend your child, you have the right to appeal in writing to the Managing Director, Matthew Towers, stating the reasons why you believe the suspension should be lifted.
You should note that there are a number of Club Rules relating to junior members. These cover ages at which junior members can use different facilities, and the supervision of junior members by parents or guardians whilst at the Club.
At no time can a child member under 16 be left within the Club without a responsible parent/guardian also remaining in the Club.
Please refer to the Club Rules for full details and ensure you are familiar with these.
Nannies or other guardians may bring child members into the Club for group lessons on an occasional basis, provided that the parent has informed us in advance. They will need to sign in as a guest. Where this becomes a regular occurrence, the nanny or guardian will need to take an adult club membership (e.g. a Parent/Social membership).
7. Other Charges
There are extra charges for some facilities and services (e.g. group coaching, creche, personal training (PT), workshops, etc.) and we reserve the right to charge for other activities.
Charges may vary from time to time. For details of all charges and fees, please contact Reception at the Club.
If you or a linked member incurs any extra costs at the Club, which are not paid for at the time, the Club will add the charges to your account and take payment using your direct debit instruction.
8. Guests
Adult members (over the age of 18) may introduce a guest to the Club. The adult member making the introduction is called the Introducing Member. A guest may use the same facilities which the Introducing Member is entitled to use under the terms of their membership, provided that the appropriate guest fee has been paid. No more than three guests can be introduced at any one time.
On every occasion that a guest is introduced to the Club, the Introducing Member must:
- Sign the guest in at Reception;
- Ensure the guest completes a Health Commitment Statement.
- Stay with the guest at all times; and
- Make sure the guest is aware of, and keeps to, our Club Rules (see separate Club Rules document).
Guests must pay the appropriate fee to use the facilities at the Club. Please contact Reception for details of the guest fees currently payable.
- Full guests may use all the facilities at the Club available to the introducing member.
- Tennis (or Squash) guests pay a lower fee but may only use the tennis (or squash) courts, locker rooms and café/bar, and none of the remaining facilities.
Introducing Members can sign in the same adult as a squash or tennis guest up to a maximum of four times per year.
If you or your guest do not adhere to the terms set out in these Terms and Conditions (or any other Club rules), we may withdraw the right for you and/or any linked member to invite guests to the Club or take another appropriate sanction.
We reserve the right to refuse a guest entry to the Club. For example, former members, former members of staff or persons who have had a membership application rejected may be ineligible to be a guest.
9. Disability/Inclusion
If you have a disability and require someone to help you use the facilities at the Club, you can sign your helper in as a carer, without payment of a guest fee. However, your carer can only support you in your use of the facilities. If they wish to use the facilities themselves, they will need their own membership.
We have a pool hoist available and trained staff who can assist you in and out of the pool if required. Please inform Reception on arrival if you require assistance.
10. Freezing (Suspending) your Membership
You may freeze (suspend) your membership at any time, provided you have not already served notice to end your membership, subject to the following rules:
- You must give at least 2 weeks’ notice before the freeze is due to commence.
- The freeze must start on the 1st of a calendar month.
- The minimum period is 2 calendar months.
- The maximum period is 4 calendar months.
- You can only freeze your membership once per calendar year.
To suspend your membership you will need to email [email protected] stating the start date and number of months you wish to freeze.
If you have suspended your membership, you will not be allowed entry into the Club as a guest during the period of suspension.
Whilst your membership is on freeze, you will be charged a monthly fee of £14, unless the suspension is on medical grounds, for which supporting documentation, such as a doctor’s note, will be required.
If you have a linked membership (e.g. with a husband, wife or partner) and you suspend only your own membership, your husband, wife or partner will pay the equivalent full, single member (un-linked) rate for the period of the suspension.
An adult member can suspend the membership of individual linked children.
If linked adult members both wish to suspend their memberships, both names must be included in the suspension notification email. In this case, the memberships of any linked children will also be automatically suspended.
If you suspend your membership and the suspension starts during your initial period, we will extend the initial period by the number of months that your membership was suspended.
Suspending your membership is not the same as ending your membership. If you have suspended your membership and subsequently decide to end your membership, the usual notice period and Initial Period terms and conditions continue to apply.
Note that some student plans have their own specific rules around freezing. Please refer to our detailed descriptions of these.
11. Ending your Membership
If your membership has no linked members, only you can give notice to end it.
If your membership has a linked adult member, the following rules apply for ending membership.
- If you give notice to end the membership, we will treat it as applying to you and your linked adult member unless you tell us otherwise.
- If your linked adult member ends their membership, we will treat it as ending your own membership unless they tell us otherwise.
If all linked adults end their memberships, then all children who are linked to those adults will also have their memberships ended.
Your membership will finish at the end of your notice period, and you must continue to pay your membership fees until your membership ends.
The required notice period is described in Section 2.
If you are unable to use the Club due to redundancy, relocation or being diagnosed with a medical condition that prevents your use of the Club, you may, on giving one month’s notice, terminate your membership within the initial term. This condition is subject to the provision of reasonable evidence of the redundancy, relocation or medical condition.
12. Cancelling your Membership
We reserve the right to cancel your membership with immediate effect in the following circumstances:
- Verbal or physical abuse, or intimidation of our staff by yourself, one of your linked members, or one of your guests.
- Verbal or physical abuse, or intimidation of other members by yourself, one of your linked members, or one of your guests.
- Repeatedly ignoring or breaking the Club Rules.
- If, with your knowledge or permission, another person uses your membership card or QR code to enter the Club.
- If, with your knowledge or permission, another person uses one of the membership cards/ QR codes of your linked members to enter the Club.
- If we receive any complaint about your behaviour or that of a linked member or if you or a linked member persistently behaves inappropriately.
- Ignoring the rules for Guests laid out in Section 9.
- If for any other reason we believe that it is not in the Club’s interests to allow the continued membership of you or your linked members.
If we cancel your membership, you have the right to appeal in writing to the Managing Director, Matthew Towers, stating the reasons why you believe your membership should not be cancelled. After a thorough investigation, his decision will be binding.
If we cancel your membership for any of the reasons described above, we have the right to keep a proportion of the money you have paid under this agreement to cover any reasonable costs we have incurred. We will also not accept any future applications you make for membership at the Club.
13. Failure to Pay your Membership Fees
If you do not pay your membership fee when it is due, we will write to you to let you know and we will try to take the payment from your account again later in the month (on or around 15th).
If that is unsuccessful, a representation fee will be implemented and we will notify you again, along with temporarily blocking access to the Club for you and any Linked Members (adults or children) until the payment of your Membership fees and representation fee due has been settled.
Failure to make this payment will result in your Membership ceasing, and any outstanding arrears remaining on your account.
We may refer any missed payments, including any future payments that are due as part of your contract (for example, payments you owe for the rest of the initial period or for the notice period), to a debt-collection agency and this may have an adverse impact on your credit rating.
Cancelling your direct debit does not mean you have given us notice to end your membership. You must give us written notice as described in Section 2.
14. Feedback and Complaints
We welcome feedback from our members at any time, verbally, via email or through one of the boxes in the Club. If you put your name on the feedback, we will always respond to you.
We strive to offer the very best facilities and service at all times, but inevitably things will go wrong on occasions. If you have an issue at any time, please do let our staff know immediately and we will endeavour to fix the problem as soon as we can.
If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied that the issue has been resolved, please do address your concerns to the General Manager. If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, then please address your concerns in writing to Matthew Towers, Managing Director.
15. Liability
You and your guests are advised to take good care of your personal belongings whilst at the Club, and to use the lockers provided. We do not accept liability for damage or loss to your property or a guest’s property that may occur on the premises or within the grounds of the Club, other than the liability which arises from our negligence or our failure to take reasonable care.
We do not accept liability for the injury or death of any adult or junior member or guest that may happen on the premises or within the grounds of the Club, other than the liability which arises from our negligence or our failure to take reasonable care.
All members must sign a Health Commitment Statement on joining the Club which highlights our responsibilities as a Club, and your responsibilities as a member and consumer.
Nothing in these terms and conditions is meant to limit any rights you might have as a consumer.
16. Data Protection
We will deal with all information we hold about you in line with our privacy policy, which can be downloaded from our web-site.
We will periodically send you information to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments at the Club, and make important announcements about facility closures, health & safety issues, membership fees, and so on.
Taking up membership implies that you agree to allow us to send you this communication and there is no way to opt out. We will not send you any marketing material on behalf of third parties. We will never sell your personal information.
We adhere to the General Data Protection Regulations of 2018 and full details can be found in our Privacy Policy. If at any time you want to know what information we hold about you, or want us to correct any of the information that we hold, then please contact “The Data Controller” via email ([email protected]) or surface mail, or speak to Reception.
