Chief executive: Charity excited to safely welcome back members and customers to venues and facilities as Covd-19 restrictions ease
Renfrewshire Leisure’s gyms, swimming pools, libraries and heritage centre will reopen from Monday, April 26th.
The announcement comes after the Scottish Government today formally confirmed that the region will drop down to Covid-19 level three restrictions from that date.
This means the gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise, in line with all public health guidelines. Outdoors, all organised activities except adult contact sport can also now take place.
In addition to those facilities available before Christmas, Renfrew Victory Baths will reopen following maintenance work, with extended opening hours in place. Meanwhile, the gym at Johnstone Community Sports Hub will be open outside of school hours. The swimming pool at Johnstone remains closed pending maintenance work.
Gym facilities previously at Park Mains High School will be located at Erskine Sports Centre.
The rule-change also allows for capacity at Renfrewshire Leisure’s popular outdoor fitness classes – which restarted last month while indoor classes are not permitted – can be doubled to 30 people from Monday. That takes the number of weekly slots available to 570.
All 12 of the region’s libraries will reopen too – on a click-and-collect basis for items, with public access to computers also available at each venue.
Members of the public will also again be able to access the heritage centre in Paisley.
Hygiene and social distancing measures will be in place at the venues. All gym and swimming sessions must be pre-booked, as should visits to the heritage centre. Details about opening times and making a booking can be found at www.renfrewshireleisure.com. Bookings for gyms and swimming sessions will open on Wednesday, April 21st.
Monday will be the first time that the venues have been open to the public since lockdown restrictions came into force on December 26th, although online services have been operating throughout.
Victoria Hollows, Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Leisure, said: “We are excited to welcome back our loyal members and residents to our venues. We know how keen people are to return and enjoy more of our services. Our team stands ready to support them as best they can.
“In so many ways, the work we do has never been needed more. Encouraging and supporting better health and wellbeing is going to be vital for people as they recover from the impact of Covid-19 on their lives.
“We are determined to play a key part in our region’s recovery from the pandemic, with the safety of our community and staff the utmost priority.”
The restart of individual exercise sessions at Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley and Renfrew Sports Centre will run in tandem with mass vaccinations centres being operated there at the request of Renfrewshire Council. These will have separate entrance and exit points.
Rules for the use of outdoor pitches have been shared with sports clubs.
Staff are also once again manning Barshaw Golf Club. Bowlers, meanwhile, were able to return to Lochfield Bowling Green, Paisley, and Robertson Park Bowling Green in Renfrew from April 1.
Direct debit payment for members – which have been suspended during the disruption to in-person services – will restart from May 7th. Those with annual memberships will have time reimbursed before re-opening.
Regular updates on all services – both in-person and digitally – will be posted via Renfrewshire Leisure’s website and social media.
Paisley Food and Drink Festival is taking a different shape for 2021 – with a tantalising online programme across nine days in April!
The festival will take place from Friday 16 – Saturday 24 April and will showcase the rich diversity of Renfrewshire’s food and drink offer.
Enjoy a mouth-watering menu of interactive experiences, including:
- Online cooking demonstrations;
- Virtual tasting sessions;
- Music and cocktail making events;
- Interactive workshops;
- Offers from local businesses with Paisley Eats app;
- and much more!
The festival is also teaming up with culture and lifestyle publication Mill Magazine to produce a series of short films shining a spotlight on local food and drink businesses and the range of cuisine available across the area’s towns and villages.
The ‘Taste of Renfrewshire’ videos will be screened across the nine days alongside the fantastic programme of online experiences for food and drink lovers to enjoy!
Take a look at what’s happening across the nine days with our Events by Date pages below.
Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for more programme announcements in the coming weeks!
KALKA was created by Gillian McCormick and is based in Paisley, Scotland.
It is a brand that was born during a time of great uncertainty when a global pandemic forced the world to slow down. Initially, it seemed our freedom had been taken from us, but it soon became apparent that we were now freer than ever! We had been given the chance to change our world and the way we live in it which encouraged a clearer view of what matters. As a new brand, we welcomed the opportunity for growth and new beginnings which is always a source of inspiration for new designs.
Based in Paisley, we take great pride in finding inspiration from our surroundings although our designs are not exclusive to the people of our town. We focus on natural influences and make our products from organic fabrics in order to support a sustainable future for our planet.
It is important to us that our customers receive the highest quality of products and excellent service. We encourage people to get in touch and work with us to create original pieces which you truly love to wear.
You can find us on our website please feel free to browse our products.
The team at Rukeri have been busy behind the scenes getting ready for the new season. From turf production and maintenance to bagging their customers favourite aggregates, a lot has been happening to ensure a smooth start to the 2021 season.
Rukeri has been growing and supplying turf for 8 years from North Arkleston Farm in Paisley. The company has expanded year on year and now offers a wide range of landscaping supplies that includes organic soils, decorative aggregates (good old garden chuckies!), barks, sands and fencing and decking materials. Rukeri Turf is highly regarded within the landscaping industry, with many customers claiming it to be the best in Scotland!
Like most companies, Rukeri faced a lot of challenges when they reopened after the first lock down. Some products were harder than others to source as manufacturing had reduced dramatically or stopped altogether, and the social distancing measures meant that all business operations had to be looked at and developed to ensure the safety of staff and customers. The upshot this year is that all processes have been practiced and the team are confident of delivering all orders in a COVID secure manner.
Lisa Taylor, Marketing Manager at Rukeri says, ‘Despite the challenges faced last year we are acutely aware of how fortunate we were to be busy and able to still trade. The ‘Stay at Home’ message was heeded by our customers and we are glad that we were able to help transform outdoor spaces during a troubling time.
We are looking forward to what is already proving to be a busy season. Our lead time is currently around 5 – 6 days so we urge customers to order early to avoid any disappointment, and we hope that more residents of Renfrewshire will be enjoying their new gardens from Rukeri in time for summer!’
All products available can be viewed from their yard in Paisley. They are on display in a colourful area that gives customers the chance to get a ‘real feel’ for them. Visitors are asked to follow the one-way system on site, follow current social distancing guidelines and wear a mask when in the office. Alternatively, orders can be placed online at www.rukeri.com
Spring is here and there’s plenty to look forward to in Paisley town centre with our Easter Animal Trail!
There are 12 animal friends hiding in local business windows around the town centre …. but one of them doesn’t have a name.
So it’s your job to find our friends and name the final animal to be in with a chance of winning one of two Easter-tastic prizes!
It’s the perfect activity to get everyone out in the fresh air and have some free, family fun at the same time!
Pick up a trail leaflet from either the Piazza Shopping Centre or The Paisley Shopping Centre, or if you prefer you can download your own trail leaflet which is available HERE.
Remember many of our local businesses are still open or operating, see the full list HERE – perfect if you want to stop to refuel or pick up some essentials along the way.
Plus parking is free in all council car parks seven days a week with on-street parking charges applied Monday to Friday only before 6pm.
Once you have completed our trail, just post your entry form in one of the special Easter post-boxes located in either of the shopping centres to be entered into our prize draw.
And don’t forget to pick up your free Spring Activity Sheet when collecting your trail leaflet, or download HERE
Let’s have some Spring Fun in Paisley this Easter!
The journey to transform Paisley Museum into a top cultural destination took a major step forward today (Wed 31 March) as Renfrewshire councillors approved the appointment of the contractor to deliver the £23million main works programme.
Members of the council’s Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board authorised the appointment of Kier Construction Limited as the main works contractor that will transform the A-listed building. Final negotiations will now take place with a view to formally appointing Kier next month. This will result in work beginning on site in early summer with construction likely being completed by late 2022, reopening to the public in 2023.
This marks a significant milestone in the £42million redevelopment of the museum – the signature project in Paisley’s radical regeneration which also includes refurbishments of the town’s A-listed town hall and a new learning and cultural hub housing library services on the town’s high street.
The museum transformation project is an important part of Paisley’s economic recovery from lockdown both in terms of the on-site activity that will take place during the construction phase and in the increased footfall that will follow when the museum reopens to the public. When Paisley Museum opens its doors it is expected to attract 128,000 visitors each year from Scotland, the UK and overseas and provide a £79million economic boost to the area over the next 30 years.
Paisley Museum Reimagined Project Director, Kirsty Devine, said: “The approval to appoint the main works contractor is an exciting step forward in realising our ambitions of radically transforming this prominent symbol of Paisley’s past for future generations.
“A great deal of work has taken place behind the scenes over the last year to help realise our vision for the museum and once the contractor is formally appointed and work begins on site in early summer the public will start to see that vision take shape.
“Paisley Museum was founded as a place of learning at the heart of the town and this redevelopment project will preserve that for years to come, while showcasing the town’s globally-significant story like never before.”
The project will not only deliver a cultural facility of significance for Scotland, it will also help transform Paisley’s perception of itself, develop a visitor economy, lead the regeneration of the town centre and once again give Paisley a confident, outward-facing profile to the world.
Senior Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland and Paisley Museum Reimagined Patron, Professor Frances Fowle, said: “It is wonderful that the museum will not only be restored to its former glory, but will be transformed into a world-class venue. I am excited that Paisley is undergoing this period of cultural Renaissance and am proud to be a Patron of the Paisley Museum Reimagined project.”
Kier have worked on a number of high-profile heritage construction projects throughout the UK and are currently helping to deliver the refurbishment of The Burrell Collection in Glasgow.
Regional Director of Kier Regional Building North & Scotland, Phil McDowell, said: “The transformation of Paisley Museum is of significant local and national importance and we are looking forward to working with Renfrewshire Council on this project.
“We have extensive experience restoring and reimagining historic cultural buildings and we will work with our local supply chain partners and utilise the very latest digital technologies to transform the museum. We will also engage with the local Paisley community, providing job, training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as working with local organisations as we look to leave a lasting legacy in areas in which we build.”
A programme of community benefits were requested as part of the procurement process. Kier have agreed to offer a number of local employment opportunities, work experience placements, business advice and support to local SMEs, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. They have also made a commitment to ensure that supply chain opportunities are prioritised for Renfrewshire based businesses and pledged to support a local community project.
The redesign of the museum campus, being led by an international team including architects AL_A and exhibition designers Opera Amsterdam, will allow the number of objects on display to be increased by 150%. The designs produced by AL_A radically reimagine the museum and its campus, reshaping it into a cultural hub of discovery, skills development, creativity and innovation. Improvement work will include a new entrance courtyard and entranceway, along with a new west wing, outdoor garden space and an interactive weaving studio.
The museum’s final phase of fundraising is now under way, with the museum website reimagined.paisleymuseum.org showcasing the project’s ambitious vision.
- We hope all our patients are doing well as we near the one year anniversary of the pandemic
- We are working flat out to see all our emergencies, waiting lists, broken teeth as well as we have started seeing our kid patients’ for check-ups! Please bear with us there is only one of me
- March offers at Dee Dental Paisley always giving you a little more back!
- Enlighten whitening- £23/month on finance up to 24 months and a free Dee dental water bottle!
- Get 10% off every Zo skin kit!
- Free retainers and free scans with every new Invisalign case
- Our comprehensive dental plan at Dee Dental covers all your check ups, hygiene appointments and gives you discounts for whitening and fillings! Sign up by clicking on our website and clicking on plan
- https://app.tabeo.co.uk/…/plans/dee-dental-smile-plan-1
- Stunning Invisalign results with a touch of bonding after only 14 weeks of treatment with us check out of our facebook and instagram for our before and afters!
- Your new smile could be moments away- free non-obligation consultations face to face or virtually – book through our website today or DM us
- The best results with @enlightensmiles available at Dee dental Paisley you won’t find premium guaranteed whitening and no diet change with any other type of whitening so why not contact us today for your makeover?
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- Did you know we also do fixed braces? Maybe you feel Invisalign isn’t the right option for you we also carry out ceramic brackets and with results like ours on insta and fb you too can achieve amazing results!
-Only ceramic brackets used so no metal train tracks so they aren’t as obvious! Contact us today to see what works for your smile makeover
- Have you started the best medical skincare out there? A customised ZO skin routine is as easy as cleanse, exfoliate and tone and will transform your skin!
- Book yourself in today for a virtual consult or face to face – costs start from as little as £110 for a whole kit and last months! Vouchers available and gift sets too
Following on from our success with Tear Drop gin we decided in early January to develop a new product with our distillery. After sampling 12 different liqueurs all made with our own Tear Drop Gin, we decided on our Raspberry Edition.
This is made with fresh Scottish raspberries and is an all natural product.
The product can be described as follows
Tear Drop Raspberry Edition – Limited Edition Batch
An abundance of fresh raspberries with the welcome edition of rose petals, gives this liqueur a burst of flavour in every drop.
The natural ingredients combine with our Tear Drop Gin to give this raspberry edition a wonderful colour and a sweet floral taste.
Perfect with prosecco, refreshing with soda or sip over ice. Enjoy !
It comes in a 50cl bottle and is bottled at 25% alcohol. It is a limited edition batch.
It is now available to pre order with deliveries from Wednesday 31 March 2021.
We are continuing the local Renfrewshire, Barrhead and Hillington deliveries.
Tear Drop Gin is a Paisley based family run business. The business was launched in December 2020 by Donald and Louise Boyd and features an innovative direct to glass print of the famous Paisley Pattern.
Bus operator borrows airport’s electric vehicles ahead of own green fleet roll out –
What began as a spark of an idea during a chat between Glasgow Airport and McGill’s became a lightbulb moment.
Glasgow Airport’s fleet of three BYD ADL Enviro200EV electric buses, normally operated by NCP to transport passengers between the terminal and the long-stay car park, were parked up as passenger demand dropped due to the pandemic.
When strict travel restrictions were put in place, the zero-emission fleet unexpectedly found itself off the road, sparking discussions with local operator McGill’s Buses.
Seeing a great opportunity to take three diesel buses off the road, while allowing customers to test out the electric vehicles before the arrival of their own, McGill’s introduced the vehicles onto their 757 service, operating between Paisley and Clydebank, via Glasgow Airport.
Ronald Leitch, operations director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The airport’s long-stay car park was offered to the government early in 2020 as a possible COVID-19 testing site to help support the national effort to defeat the pandemic and is still use today.
“This meant that our fleet would sit unused for a long period of time and it seemed like a waste of such a fantastic resource. The BYD ADL electric buses have been a fantastic addition to our network and when in operation they helped cut the carbon emissions associated with passenger travel to and from the long-stay car park from 143 tonnes per year to zero.”
“We were aware that McGill’s planned to introduce this type of bus to their own transport network and were happy to help McGill’s test the buses on their daily operation ahead of this.”
McGill’s are awaiting the arrival of 55 Yutong E12s, as well as their own BYD ADL Enviro200EV. Having also ordered 12 BYD ALD E400EVs for the newly purchased Xplore Dundee, by the end of the year, McGill’s will have the largest percent of their fleet zero emissions in Scotland.
McGill’s operation director, Colin Napier said, “Introducing these electric vehicles to our 757 Glasgow Airport service has allowed us to give customers a taste of what is to come.
The feedback from customers and drivers alike has been overwhelmingly positive and leaves us excited for the arrival of our first electric vehicles later this year.”
The state-of-the-art fleet was the launched in 2019 when Glasgow became the first airport in the UK to introduce electric buses to its operations.
When introduced, it was the first time the BYD ADL Enviro200EV model has been operated anywhere in Scotland and its introduction at Glasgow Airport was made possible thanks to a £450,000 Green Bus Fund support grant from Transport Scotland.
A joint project between ADL and BYD Europe, the new zero-emission fleet combine BYD’s leading electric driveline and battery technology with Alexander Dennis bodies. At 10.8m long, each bus has both front and rear access points, 23 seats, three-tier luggage compartments and includes wheelchair provision.
Latest Updates
Limited Edition ‘Earth and Beauty’ Collection!22/04/2021 - 11:59 am
Renfrewshire Leisure venues will reopen on April 26th20/04/2021 - 3:21 pmChief executive: Charity excited to safely welcome back members and customers to venues and facilities as Covd-19 restrictions ease Renfrewshire Leisure’s gyms, swimming pools, libraries and heritage centre will reopen from Monday, April 26th. The announcement comes after the Scottish Government today formally confirmed that the region will drop down to Covid-19 level three restrictions […]
Preparations underway to ensure a safe election in Renfrewshire20/04/2021 - 10:14 amVoters are being reassured that polling stations will be safe places to cast their vote ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary election on Thursday 6 May. Polling stations in Renfrewshire have been adapted to ensure that all required health and safety measures are in place to reflect the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Each polling station will have […]
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