Charitable trust releases attendance figures post-COVID restrictions

Charitable trust releases attendance figures post-COVID restrictions

We are pleased to be releasing information related to attendance figures which include a period of near-normal operations since the easing of the majority of legal COVID restrictions.

We have seen an overall recovery rate of 63 per cent between July 1 to September 30, 2021 compared to the same period for 2020. The quarter 2 figures for 2021/21 reflect the Scottish Government’s announcement confirming the majority of COVID restrictions could be lifted commencing August 9, and the first time that all 14 of our venues were operational since March 2020 following unavoidable delays to the re-opening of the Beacon Leisure Centre.

The recovery rate was an increase of 24 per cent from quarter one with the month of September showing an overall recovery rate of 74 per cent with individual sites such as Levenmouth Swimming Pool and Sports Centre, Pitreavie Athletics Centre and Waterstone Crook Leisure Centre showing the highest recovery rates.

Group fitness classes saw a recovery rate of 41 per cent with a steady increase over the three-month period with the transition back to studios in all venues and an increase in class capacity following the removal of physical distancing.

 


Gym rates were up 57 per cent with all gym equipment reinstalled and with some gyms seeing new layouts following customer feedback. We are also looking to expand its personal training provision with the addition of four new gym team members.

Our award-winning health programme which delivers instructor-led fitness classes to local people living with long-term health conditions, saw a 56 per cent recovery rate thanks to return to face-to-face sessions and an increase in the number of sites able to host participants. The period also saw the re-start of participant referrals and increased partnership working with NHS Fife, health and care social partnerships, Macmillan Cancer Support and other organisations to provide further support to people living a range of conditions such as cancer, diabetes and dementia. We have also recruited two new health and wellbeing advisors to help deliver the programme.

Emma Walker, chief executive of Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “The figures for quarter two of 2021/22 demonstrate the popularity and value of community leisure which provide a vital resource for local communities. The trust’s teams have worked hard to encourage users back into centres and thanks to a consistently high level of health and safety measures throughout the pandemic, customer confidence and satisfaction rates have remained high.

“We are committed to providing the communities of Fife with quality, affordable sports and leisure facilities and teams across the trust are set to deliver further improvements to our facilities and programmes for a wide range of users in line with our charitable commitments – these include social cafes, working with paediatric physiotherapy services to support healthy child weight programmes and widening awareness and access to our referral health programme.”


Fife Council team manager, Andy MacLellan welcomed the news that the training pool will re-open following work to install an enhanced ventilation system, he said:

"This is great news, albeit a bit later than we all hoped, but challenges associated with Covid and delivery of essential materials delayed our work. We look forward to seeing swimmers enjoying the improved facilities."