Outdoor leisure facilities in Moray to re-open next week

Pre-booking of grass pitches, pavilions and astroturf pitches is essential, and can be done by phoning the associated leisure centre, from Monday. The customer responsible for the booking should collect and return keys from the reception, will be asked to maintain a 2m social distance at all times and wear a face covering when inside the building (exemptions apply), and use hand sanitiser on entry and exit.

Groups and organisations will have to provide documentation outlining their operating procedures and what steps are being taken to mitigate the risk of transmitting Coronavirus. Users will be asked to bring their own wipes and hand sanitiser to use at the outdoor facilities, to clean all hard surfaces touched before and after use, and to take any waste with them when leaving.

Leisure staff are currently undergoing training in preparation for a phased re-opening of the service, however there is no confirmed date for the re-opening of indoor leisure activities. FitLife? memberships remain frozen, though charges will apply for hiring of outdoor facilities. Where possible card payment would be preferred to avoid the need to handle cash.

Chair of Moray Council’s Children & Young People's Services Committee, which oversees leisure, Cllr Sonya Warren is encouraging residents to make the most of the re-opening of outdoor facilities.

"This is great news and another major significant step forward in this Covid recovery period. There is a great deal of pent-up demand for use of our astroturf pitches and other outdoor facilities, and I’m delighted folk will be able to get more active with more outdoor sports.

"Physical health is so important and has a very positive impact on mental health as well. I’m sure we’ll be seeing excellent use of these facilities in the coming days and weeks!"