Leisure centres across Ashfield are celebrating a successful reopening period after seeing many new and returning members through the doors.

Lammas Leisure Centre, Sutton; Festival Hall Leisure Centre, Kirkby; and Hucknall Leisure Centre reopened their gyms and group exercise studios on 1 August after being closed for almost five months due to coronavirus restrictions.

The reopening measures include one-way systems, enhanced cleaning regimes and structured sessions. There were nearly 25,000 visits since the reopening.

As part of a phased reopening plan, the swimming pool facilities at Lammas Leisure Centre and Hucknall Leisure Centre reopened on 14 August for bookable lane swimming, with lessons and clubs recommencing on 22 August.

A variety of measures have been introduced across the facilities. These include booking in advance for sessions and fewer lessons within the pool at any one time, to allow for both children and swimming teachers to social distance.

Upwards of 3,000 booked swims have taken place in the pools since they reopened, with all swimmers integrating back into the COVID secure swim lesson layouts. School swimming also successfully recommenced in the centres from 7 September.

For members who wish to continue working out at home, Everyone Active is offering access to its extensive digital fitness package for £9.99 a month. The platform provides a number of home workouts from intense cardio to yoga. Members will also receive access to training plans to help them stay on track until they feel comfortable heading into the centres again.

Coun Kier Barsby, Portfolio Holder for Health and Leisure, said: “I’m delighted to see how many of our residents have been getting back to our leisure centres and enjoying the facilities. We know just how important health and fitness is to so many people across the District.

“We understand that things are still different for customers but by following the regulations that have been put in place, we can ensure that our gyms, suites and pools are as safe as they can possibly be.”

Lorenzo Clark, Contract Manager at Everyone Active, commented: “The response we’ve received from our members has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re so pleased to see many new and returning members through our doors.

“Many of our activities including swimming lessons, group exercise classes and ice skating have returned and we are looking to reintroduce more activities over the coming months, including Skate UK lessons and Squash sessions.

“For those who are not comfortable visiting us just yet, our online packages are perfect for staying fit and healthy in the meantime.”