Membership terms and conditions

You can choose how you pay for your membership. A monthly direct debit can be set up with your bank and the payment will come out of your bank on the first working day of each month. Or you can pay for a year in advance.

Members choosing to pay by monthly direct debit will also pay a pro rata payment and a last month up-front payment. The pro rata payment will be taken from your bank with the first direct debit payment. This pro rata payment covers the cost of your membership until your direct debit begins. The last month in advance payment is to cover your usage when we close your account.

If a direct debit is returned by your bank unpaid, we have the right under BACS regulations to re-present a request for this payment at any point without notice but within one month of the original charge.

In the event of prolonged absence such as serious illness or injury, you can suspend your membership. This benefit is for monthly direct debit fitness memberships only as we cannot hold lesson or course spaces open. This benefit is for full calendar months only and available for one to six months only. You will be charged a reduced fee of £5 each month while the suspension is in place.

A suspension can begin only after the first direct debit has been set up and pro rata payment has been taken. For GP referrals we are unable to suspend the initial three-month subscription period. To activate this benefit, please contact the membership co-ordinator by the 20th of the month in order to effect the suspension by the first of the following month. You will be asked to sign the terms of the suspension agreement.

At the end of the ‘frozen period’ your monthly direct debit will revert to the appropriate fee automatically, the signed agreement being your advance notice of the change.

Should your personal details change, please notify us immediately. The details we hold for you will be used to communicate electronically or by letter with you as per BACS regulations. You can notify us by emailing recreationclub@royalfreecharity.org or in person.

Prices may be reviewed at any point during your membership and we undertake to provide at least three working days’ notice of any price change either by email or post.

It may be necessary to undertake maintenance to the facility and its equipment at any time. Where we have to alter hours of business or change activity programmes, every attempt will be made to provide advance notice and to minimise disruption and inconvenience. Compensation in the form of use of alternative facilities, activity vouchers, or pro rata refunds may be offered where disruption is set to continue for an extended period.

We expect our members to behave in a considerate manner and will not accept any aggressive behaviour towards other members or our colleagues. We reserve the right to refuse admission for members behaving in such a manner.

All club members are required to present their membership card on each visit. The card remains the property of Sports & Leisure Management Ltd. Lost cards will be replaced for a nominal charge. The card may be used only by the person to whom it was issued.

Subject to the final paragraph of this section, we will not compensate you for any loss or damage you may suffer where this is attributable to:

(i) your own fault

(ii) a third party unconnected with our provision of services under this agreement; or

(iii) events which neither we nor our suppliers could have reasonably foreseen or forestalled even if we had taken all reasonable care.

Nothing in these terms and conditions is intended to limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or because of fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability which cannot be excluded by law.

We recognise that many people’s circumstances change. In such an event, should you wish to cancel your direct debit membership we ask that you notify the Rec Club in writing or email us at recreationclub@royalfreecharity.org. Please ensure you also notify your bank. This needs to be done before the 20th of the month in order to be effective from the first of the following month. Where notification is not received by the 20th, we reserve the right to collect any monies outstanding in the event of this agreement not being upheld. If you wish to re-start your membership with us you will be required to pay the start-up fee, pro rata payment and your last month up front.

Your fitness membership may entitle you to book classes or activities which are included in your membership. If you are unable to attend such bookings you must cancel as soon as possible. If you cancel within four hours of the start time, you may be charged £4 if we are unable to fill your place. Where we need to change or cancel a class or activity we will aim to notify you within the same period.

For details of how the Royal Free Charity Rec Club uses the personal information you provide, please see our privacy policy.

For all direct debit membership administration enquiries, please contact us by emailing recreationclub@royalfreecharity.org For all other member enquiries and activity bookings please contact us using the appropriate option in the Contact section of the website: royalfreecharity.org  or in person.