Renfrewshire Leisure has taken its first step out of the latest lockdown with the restart of outdoor sporting activities.

Outdoor fitness classes have made a successful return, while more groups are again able to use sports pitches and golfers can play four-ball games.

All of the activities restarting are doing so in line with the Scottish Government’s latest Covid-19 rules, with safety as the utmost priority.

Mark Tokeley, Head of Leisure and Community Services at Renfrewshire Leisure, said: “This is a milestone in our charity’s route map out of lockdown, allowing the eagerly awaited and gradual restart of our in-person services.

“We are delighted to be able to begin welcoming members, clubs and other customers back to our facilities. The vaccine roll out and the progress being made in suppressing the virus has given us much to look forward to.

“Safety is, of course, our priority. We are asking everyone using our facilities to follow all of the rules in place so that we play our part in continuing efforts to keep Covid-19 at bay.”

As laid out in Scottish Government’s guidelines, Renfrewshire Leisure reintroduced from Friday (March 12):

  • Outdoor fitness classes (limited to 14 participants and one coach) at ON-X Linwood, Park Mains High School in Erskine and Seedhill Community Sports Ground, Paisley. Places must be booked online in advance. Initial classes have been fully booked.
  • Athletics outdoor training at ON-X
  • Contact sports for under-12s for groups with existing block bookings for groups of up to 15 players and two coaches.
  • Non-contact sports for 12-year-olds and over, in groups of up to 15 people, with two coaches also allowed for 12 to 17-year-olds.
  • Four-ball games of golf at Barshaw Golf Club (which Renfrewshire Leisure staff will man from the last week in March).

Bowling, meanwhile, will restart at Lochfield Bowling Green, Paisley, and Robertson Park Bowling Green in Renfrew from the beginning of the new season on April 1.

Rules for the outdoor pitches have been shared with sports clubs. Full details of them and where activities are taking place are available at www.renfrewshireleisure.com.

All Renfrewshire Leisure venues have been closed to public access since Level 4 measures were introduced on December 26.

Preparations, meanwhile, are underway for the reopening and restart of other Renfrewshire Leisure venues and services. Arrangements will be confirmed following relevant updates from the Scottish Government.

Regular updates on all services – both in-person and digitally – will also be posted via Renfrewshire Leisure’s social media.