Young people aged 11 to 16 in Merton will be able to book free, instructor-led gym classes at three council leisure centres from the October half-term. The weekly programme adds strength and core-conditioning sessions to the borough’s existing free-swimming offer.
There will be four bookable sessions each week at Canons Leisure Centre in Mitcham, Morden Leisure Centre and Wimbledon Leisure Centre. Taken together, the timetable lists 12 weekly sessions across the three sites. The classes are structured group sessions; the offer is not described as a free gym membership or general access to gym equipment.
Bookings are due to open on Monday 19 October. Members receive priority booking, and reservations can also be made through the leisure booking app. The sessions themselves are scheduled to begin in October half-term. Families should check the relevant centre’s booking information for a place before travelling, as spaces are tied to specific classes and times.
Weekly timetable across the borough
Canons has four sessions: Strength Junior for girls on Mondays from 4pm to 4.30pm; Strength Junior on Tuesdays from 4pm to 4.30pm; Core Conditioning Junior on Thursdays from 4pm to 4.30pm; and Strength Junior on Saturdays from 1pm to 1.30pm.
At Morden, Strength Junior runs on Tuesdays from 5.15pm to 5.45pm and Wednesdays from 4.30pm to 5pm. Friday’s timetable has Core Conditioning Junior from 5.15pm to 5.45pm, followed by a girls-only Strength Junior session from 5.45pm to 6.45pm.
Wimbledon’s weekly choices are a girls-only Strength Junior session on Mondays from 4pm to 4.30pm, Strength Junior on Tuesdays from 5pm to 5.30pm, Core Conditioning Junior on Thursdays from 4.45pm to 5.30pm and Strength Junior on Fridays from 4pm to 4.30pm.
The schedule therefore offers after-school appointments on weekdays, as well as a Saturday option at Canons. Three slots across the timetable are marked for girls only: Monday at Canons, Friday at Morden and Monday at Wimbledon. Strength Junior appears most often, while each centre also has a weekly Core Conditioning Junior class.
A new addition to local leisure provision
The classes extend a free-swimming programme for under-16s that operates at all three centres. The new timetable gives families another organised activity to consider, with sessions spread across different weekdays and sites rather than one borough-wide class at a single venue.
Merton’s ambition to become London’s first Borough of Sport provides the wider context for the initiative. The classes are being delivered through the council’s partnership with the leisure-centre operator. Their instructor-led format means young participants have a scheduled session and a named class type, rather than an advertised open-ended gym pass.
For families comparing options, the centre locations and times matter: the Tuesday Strength Junior session is at 4pm in Mitcham, 5.15pm in Morden and 5pm in Wimbledon. Friday sessions differ by location too, with core conditioning at Morden and strength classes at Wimbledon. Checking the timetable before booking will help avoid arriving at the wrong venue or time.
The published schedule identifies the age range, class names, locations and weekly slots, but does not set out class capacities or wider gym-access arrangements. The booking system is the practical next step for anyone seeking a place, particularly as members have priority. The programme’s free price and recurring timetable make it a defined addition to Merton’s youth leisure offer from half-term.
