Families across Fife are enjoying a summer of sport – with a variety of low-cost and fun activities at local leisure centres. 

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust has been rolling out a packed programme of events as part of the national Summer of Sport campaign. 

In the coming weeks, there are taster sessions for youngsters under five, a family fun day and opportunities for children to take part in a variety of sports for just £1 per child, per session. 

Full details are listed at www.fifeleisure.org.uk/summerofsport/ 

The charity’s Activities Manager, Lee Cunningham, said: “Through Summer of Sport, we’re creating more opportunities for young people across Fife to build confidence, develop new skills and experience the many physical, mental, and social benefits that being active can bring.” 

• Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre is hosting “Stay and Play” sessions for children up to five years of age. Youngsters can try football and gymnastics, supported by qualified coaches. Sessions are taking place on Thursdays on 30th July, 6th August and 13th August. The cost is just £1 per child for each morning session. 

• The Trust has expanded its “Quid-A-Kid” programme, allowing youngsters aged 17 and under to try football, swimming and racquet sports for just £1 per child, per session. Facilities taking part include the Beacon Leisure Centre in Burntisland, Bowhill Swimming Pool in Cardenden, Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre, Cupar Sports Centre, Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre, Duloch Leisure Centre in Dunfermline, and Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in Glenrothes.  

• Selected venues are also running indoor basketball and indoor football throughout the summer.  

• The £1 offer is also extended to the play centres at Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre and Dunfermline’s Carnegie Leisure Centre. The “Quid-A-Kid” sessions run seven days a week throughout the summer holidays, subject to times and venue capacity. 

• Adults can also join in the football and racquet sports sessions for just £2 per person. 

On Wednesday, 5th August, the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in Glenrothes is hosting a family fun day – with tickets priced at just £5 per family (up to six people).  

Activities on offer include family swimming, gymnastics, football, bubble football, multi-sports, athletics, dance and racquet sports. There will also be fun inflatables to try out.  

Families are encouraged to book their places through the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust website. 

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust has also been running summer camps to help children improve their skills in a range of sports – as well as dancing. 

For details on what’s on offer in your area, pop into any of the Trust’s 14 venues across Fife or visit the charity’s website.  

Summer of Sport 2026 is a national initiative supported by the Scottish Government, sportscotland and local authorities. Fife Council is working with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust to deliver the programme locally. 

The campaign creates more opportunities for children and young people aged three to 26 to get active, stay active, and experience the benefits of sport and physical activity. 

Alongside a packed programme of free or low-cost summer activities, the investment is designed to create a lasting legacy.  

It aims to strengthen routes into school, club, and community sport. 

Lee said: “We are delighted to be part of Summer of Sport 2026 and to play our part in helping more children and young people across Fife access sport and physical activity.” 

The campaign aims to build on excitement generated by the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

Maureen Campbell, the Chair of sportscotland, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Scottish sport. The 2026 Summer of Sport campaign, made possible by Scottish Government investment, is a great example of what can be achieved when partners come together with a shared ambition to make sport more inclusive and accessible.   

“At sportscotland, we believe that sport has the power to strengthen communities and change lives – this investment will help to do exactly that.  

“We’re proud to play our part in helping more young people enjoy the benefits of being active as we celebrate a fantastic summer of sport.”

How families can save money during the Summer of Sport

Just £1 – it’s all you need to try racquet sports, football or swimming. (You also need to be 17 years of age or under.) 

The £1 charge is the cost for each session in our “Quid A Kid” programme here in Fife. It’s being rolled out as part of the national “Summer of Sport” campaign. 

The aim is to get children and young adults to be more active at a low-cost. 

Commonwealth Games

Perhaps some will get the bug and join sports clubs or compete in future Commonwealth Games? 

Or maybe others will become football stars and eventually play for Scotland in a FIFA World Cup? Whatever your ambitions, we’re encouraging families to check out our website – or pop down to one of our 14 sports and leisure venues across Fife for details. 

We’re also posting regular updates on the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust social media channels to encourage people to take part. 

Stay and Play

For younger children (aged five and under) we’ve got “Stay and Play” sessions for children at Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre. They can try football and gymnastics – again for just £1 per child, per session. There’s qualified coaches on hand to get youngsters moving and learning new skills. 

The £1 charge is also on offer at our play centres in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline.  

We mentioned this was a campaign to energise young people over the summer. 

Well, we haven’t left out adults. 

Quid A Kid 

They can take part in some “Quid A Kid” programmes for just £2 per person, per session. (That’s the racquet sports and football sessions.) 

Parents and kids are also being encouraged to come along to our fun days. 

There’s another one coming up next week, with a family ticket costing just £5. 

Yes – £5 for two adults and up to four children to access a range of sports and activities at the Michael Woods Leisure Centre in Glenrothes on Wednesday, August 5. 

Lots of sports will be on offer as well as dance sessions and inflatables. 

We think the “Bubble Football” sessions – where people play soccer in inflatable plastic bubbles – will be an attraction. There are lots of other fun activities too. 

Add in our sports camps and ongoing activities and you could say we’ve got summer covered. 

Investment support

Of course, all of this wouldn’t happen without the support of our partners at Fife Council, and the investment coming from the Scottish Government and its agency sportscotland. 

We thank them for making our local Summer of Sport possible.

Find out more at: Summer of Sport 2026

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust has achieved the nationally recognised Investing in Volunteers (IiV) Accreditation, recognising its commitment to providing high-quality volunteering opportunities and support across Fife. 

Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for organisations that involve volunteers in their work. The accreditation demonstrates that Fife Sports and Leisure Trust meets recognised best practice standards in volunteer recruitment, training, support, recognition, and continuous improvement. 

The achievement follows a comprehensive external assessment of the organisation’s volunteering programme, including policies, procedures, volunteer experiences, and organisational commitment. The process involved evidence gathering from across the organisation, engagement with staff and volunteers, and independent assessment through interviews and feedback. 

The accreditation recognises the significant progress made in developing a volunteering programme that creates opportunities for people to gain experience, build confidence, develop skills, and contribute to their local communities. 

Over the last year, the programme has continued to grow and deliver positive outcomes across Fife. Volunteer numbers increased by 73%, while volunteers contributed more than 1,200 hours during 2025/26, supporting a wide range of services including swimming, football, gyms, and community initiatives. 

The programme is also creating pathways into employment, with 31% of volunteers progressing into paid roles following their placement. 

These figures highlight the important role volunteering plays in developing skills, building confidence, and creating pathways into employment, while supporting local communities and services across Fife. 

Emma Walker, Chief Executive Officer at Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “Volunteering plays an important role in helping us create stronger, healthier, and more connected communities across Fife. Over the past few years, we have developed and strengthened our volunteering programme, creating more opportunities for people to get involved, gain valuable experience, and make a positive difference in their local communities. 

This achievement recognises the progress we have made and supports our ambition to be one of Fife’s leading organisations for volunteering, community wellbeing, and opportunities for personal development.” 

Karen Marsh, HR Manager at Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, added: “This achievement reflects the commitment, enthusiasm, and passion of our volunteers, staff, and partners, who have worked together to create a positive and supportive volunteering experience. 

Volunteering brings significant benefits for both individuals and communities. It helps people build confidence, develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and, in many cases, take their next step into employment. We are incredibly proud of the positive impact our volunteers make every day across Fife.” 

The accreditation supports wider organisational priorities around community wellbeing, employability, workforce development, and social impact. It also strengthens Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s ability to attract new volunteers, build partnerships, and create even more opportunities for people to get involved, develop skills, and make a positive difference in their communities. 

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust would like to thank all volunteers, staff, and partners who contributed to the accreditation process and continue to support volunteering opportunities across Fife. 

To find out more about volunteering opportunities or how to become a volunteer with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, visit: https://www.fifeleisure.org.uk/about/jobs/volunteering/ 

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust welcomed local job seekers to Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre on Thursday 18th June for a Work Inspiration Event designed to showcase employment, volunteering and work experience opportunities across the organisation.

Organised by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the event brought together individuals from across the local area to learn more about careers within the leisure and wellbeing sector and explore pathways into employment.

Building on the success of previous employability and work experience initiatives, the event highlighted the diverse career opportunities available across Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, including customer service, health and fitness, swimming, sport and physical activity, facility operations, administration, and management.

The event forms part of Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s ongoing commitment to supporting local employability, creating accessible pathways into work and helping people develop the skills, experience and confidence needed to take their next step. It also reflects the organisation’s commitment to working alongside partners such as the DWP to create opportunities that benefit individuals and strengthen local communities.

Karen Marsh, HR Manager at Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “As a community-based organisation, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting local employability and creating opportunities for people to develop new skills and experiences.

We were delighted to host this event at Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre and showcase the variety of careers available across Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. Working alongside our colleagues at the DWP allows us to reach more people, provide valuable insight into the world of work and support individuals as they explore their next steps.”

Sue Jeffrey, External Relations Leader at Dunfermline Job Centre Plus, said: “This event demonstrated the value of working together to create meaningful opportunities for local people. By partnering with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, we have been able to connect jobseekers with employment, work experience and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes that can build confidence, skills and future career prospects.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of the day and look forward to continuing our partnership to support people across Fife into work.”

Several attendees also expressed an interest in volunteering with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and are now exploring opportunities further with support from their Job Coaches. This comes shortly after the organisation achieved the nationally recognised Investing in Volunteers (IiV) Accreditation, recognising its commitment to delivering a high-quality volunteering experience through structured recruitment, training, support, recognition and ongoing development opportunities.

As one of Fife’s largest charitable organisations, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust remains committed to investing in local communities, supporting employability and creating opportunities that help people build confidence, gain experience and reach their potential.

Following the event, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and the DWP will continue working together to support attendees through a range of progression opportunities, helping connect local people with meaningful routes into employment and volunteering.

To learn more about current vacancies, career pathways and volunteering opportunities with Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, visit: www.fifeleisure.org.uk/about/jobs