Coronavirus Update - Fife Sports and Leisure Trust

In keeping with the Scottish Government’s announcement regarding protocols to be followed in relation to the spread and containment of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Level 3 local protection measures, we will not be able to provide indoor group exercise classes or sports for adults.

We will put the restriction to indoor fitness classes, including its self-funded health and wellbeing programme which supports people living with long-term conditions, adult swimming lessons and indoor sports such as racquet sports, unless both players are from the same household, into effect on Friday, November 13. The measure will be in place until Scottish Government advice states that it is appropriate for adult indoor group exercise and sports to resume.

Customers will still be able to enjoy our gyms, swimming pools and outdoor pitches. Activities designed for under 18s, including swimming lessons, will also be unaffected.

Emma Walker, chief executive for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “We are acting in line with the Scottish Government’s COVID local protection measures, and, following the confirmation that Fife is now in Level 3, we will no longer be able to offer our fitness class and health and wellbeing programmes and organised indoor sports for adults.

“The health and safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority, and we understand that customers, who have been enjoying our fitness programme and sports hall activities since we re-opened our facilities across the region, will be disappointed. However, as we have extremely good health and safety and social distancing measures in place, we are in a good position to resume our programme as quickly as possible when permitted.”

Fitness class and health and wellbeing participants, as well as Leisure Active members and those with sports hall bookings, will be notified of the change to our service.

Find out more details on:

Leisure Active Membership
Group Fitness Sessions
Learn to Swim Programme

Details of our phased re-opening

Our phased return

To ensure the safety of our customers and staff we will be rolling out a phased re-opening programme, the leisure centres that are now open are;

Find out more details of
our other facilities >

Our services

We're looking forward to welcoming you back to being active and feeling great, click on the links below to find out about the services we will be delivering soon!

> Public Swimming
> Health Classes
> Children's Classes
> Club Block/Bookings
> Group Fitness
> Leisure Active Membership
> Gym
> Swimming Lessons

For more info, check out our
frequently asked questions>

Our online booking facility

You'll need to book to gain access to our gyms, group fitness classes and swimming pools, as part of our Covid-19 health and safety measures.

If you’re a member you can click the link below to book online now. This includes Leisure Active members, Gym users, or an Active Concession holders

Book Online Now Online Booking Help

If you’re not a member click the link below so we can create an account for you. Once that account has been created you will then be able to register for online booking.

Register here for online booking

Please note, booking can also be done by calling the leisure centre direct.

Our safety measures

We've produced a virtual walk-through of our facilities to demonstrate what you can expect when our doors open.

Changes to equipment supply
As part of our new Covid safety protocols, to reduce the risk of potential Coronavirus spread, we will no longer be able to supply certain equipment. We would advise customers to bring with them the following equipment if participating in associated activities: yoga/exercise mats, tennis balls, shuttlecocks, racquets, footballs.

Face masks
Customers entering our facilities should wear face coverings before and after their activity or within non-activity areas of the facility (e.g. reception, changing rooms and walking through the facility).

Phased re-opening of our leisure centres

Phase 1 A Opening	Phase 1B Opening	Phase Two Opening	Phase Three Opening
14th September 2020	28th September 2020	12th October 2020	To be confirmed.
Carnegie Leisure Centre Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre Pitreavie Athletics Centre	Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre Dalgety Bay Sports & Leisure Centre East Sands Leisure Centre Levenmouth Swimming Pool & Sports Centre	Bowhill Leisure Centre Cupar Sports Centre Duloch Leisure Centre	Beacon Leisure Centre

Remember, you can use your Leisure Active membership at any of our leisure centres but if you don’t want to start up just yet, make sure and fill out the form below.

We've put together some frequently asked questions and answers, to let you know what changes to expect and to explain why we've had to change the way we operate our services in relation to Covid-19 regulations.

We will be updating this section regularly as we finalise our preparations, so please check for the latest updates.

Thank you for your patience.

General Information

When will leisure facilities be reopening?
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust is working line with the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Route Map, once we are able, we are looking forward to a phased re-opening of some of our leisure facilities.

What leisure activities will be on offer at the reopened sites?
We’re pleased to confirm that indoor and outdoor group exercise classes, the gym, swimming pool activities and artificial grass pitch hire are all available.

Will I have to pre-book a class/slot in the gym?
Yes. Due to social distancing, we will have to limit the number of people on site. In order to do this, we will be asking you to pre-book your visit in advance. We regret it will not be possible during the first phase of reopening to attend without pre-booking and we thank you in advance for your co-operation with this important health and safety measure.

How will I pre-book a class/slot in the gym?
Booking will be available via the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust website and App. It is however important that you initially register for the Online service. Can I have a shower and use the changing rooms after using the gym or fitness classes? Unfortunately, at this stage, there will be no shower or changing facilities available until further notice.

Will lockers be available?
Yes, there will be limited lockers available for short-term use. Will the toilets be open? Yes, a limited number of toilets will be open at each site and subject to an enhanced cleaning schedule. Again, there are Covid-19 measures in place to ensure you can access the toilets safely by limiting entry to one person at a time.

What changes have been implemented to make the buildings Covid-secure?
We have implemented a range of measures to help keep customers and staff safe. These include a check-in process, new one-way systems around parts of the buildings and new exit routes in place. Social distancing will be adhered to in all areas including reception, gym areas and group exercise classes, including redistribution of gym equipment to allow for social distancing. Enhanced deep cleaning schedules have been established, including all equipment, and, hand sanitiser will be available for customers and staff.

What classes will be available?
The outline class timetable is available on our website here How long will the gym slots be? Gym slots are currently restricted to 1-hour sessions. Gym slots are currently restricted to 55 minutes to allow for a managed and safe throughput of users which allows for appropriate cleaning.

Will mats still be provided for classes?
Sorry, no. For hygiene reasons, mats will not be available for people to use in group exercise classes. Customers who wish to use a mat should bring their own from home. Our centres will have a small supply of mats that can be purchased at reception.

Should I bring a sweat towel with me?
Members should not bring their own towels with them to the gym. Cleaning spray and blue paper roll will be provided. Will there be food and drink available? The water fountains will be out of use upon reopening. Vending machines will be available for use, in line with social distancing.

How do I check-in when I arrive?
Staff will be available to direct you, and, if required, designated queue lines will be clearly marked.

Will steam rooms and saunas be reopening?
No, not at this time. Due to the small size of these spaces, it will not be possible to practise social distancing. Only facilities where we can ensure social distancing can be practised will reopen in this first phase.

Air conditioning
In line with industry guidelines, any air conditioning systems with re-circulation functions will be turned off. No fans will be brought in for the specific function of venting or cooling an area. However, areas such as sports halls, gyms, and pool halls will be mechanically ventilated by the building's systems as normal. To have no ventilation at all would be worse as it would allow any virus carrying aerosol to build in quantity and linger longer. Airflow is, therefore, a critical tool in ensuring the virus is moved on and does not build up in indoor areas. Furthermore, the air coming into the building through the air handling systems passes through a bank of filters to reduce airborne particles before reaching the activity area.

Public Swimming

Will I have to pre-book a swimming session?
Yes, due to social distancing, we will have to limit the number of people in our centres. To do this, you will be required to pre-book your activity in advance. This means, that it will not be possible during the first phase of our reopening to attend without pre-booking. Thank you in advance for your co-operation with this important health and safety measure.

How will the changing rooms and lockers work pre-swim?
Changing rooms will have restricted access due to the size of the area and will operate on a one-way travel system - follow the signage or ask a member of staff for directions to and from the pool area. Allocated cubicles and lockers will be provided. To reduce time in changing rooms, we ask that that you consider arriving with your swimwear under your clothes.

How does a swimming session work?
All swim sessions must be pre-booked before arriving at the centre. Please use our online booking service or contact the centre you’d prefer to visit for your swim.

Are there time limits for a swimming session?
All swimming bookings will be limited to one-hour sessions and will be controlled by a colour band system.
Can I have a shower and use the changing rooms after swimming session?
After your swim, follow the signage or ask a member of staff to guide you back to the changing area. There will be limited showers available, but we would suggest that it would be preferable to shower at home.

Will the toilets be open?
Yes, a limited number of toilets will be open at each site and subject to an enhanced cleaning schedule. Again, there are Covid-19 measures in place to ensure you can access the toilets safely by limiting entry to one person at a time.

Why is there so little evening and weekend public swimming available?
We are sorry we are unable to provide a full swimming timetable, but, as you can appreciate, the closure of all our facilities due to Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the organisation and our staff. Please be assured that we are working hard to maximise the facilities and programmes on offer while working within the highest health and safety guidelines to protect staff and customers. As and when we are able to expand our timetable, we will communicate this with customers. As a charitable trust, we are committed to accessible sports and leisure opportunities, and now, more than ever, your support is extremely valuable as we deliver our phased re-opening program

Health and Wellbeing

When will the health classes restart?
Unfortunately, we cannot confirm a date at the moment. However, we are really looking forward to welcoming you back, and in the meantime, would remind you that we have live-streamed fitness sessions at noon each weekday which are specially designed for our health and wellbeing programme participants. The health and wellbeing team will be in contact with all our participants as soon as we can to give them information about their class.

Children's Classes

When will my child’s dryside courses start again (football, gymnastics, kids camps etc)?
The current Scottish Government Covid-19 Route Map does not allow us to offer these types of activities within our venues. We are currently working on a plan to offer children dryside activities again, but we will be guided by the Scottish Government as to when they can be restarted. We will contact you with a further update and will let you know as soon as we have any confirmation of when children dryside activities can restart.

Club Block Bookings

When will my club or block bookings return?
We will be implementing a cautious, phased return to our doors re-opening and this means that we will not be able to deliver all activities immediately. We have a well-planned structured re-start to our operations which includes proactive communications plans for clubs and block bookings. We will contact you with a further update and will let you know as soon as we have any confirmation of when your booking can restart.

Gym

How do I book a gym session?
All sessions should be booked online or via the FastTrack booking system. All sessions can be booked online, please ensure you register with our online booking system.

How long before my session should I arrive?
Please arrive 'Gym ready' no more than 5 minutes prior to the start of your gym session.

How long is a gym session?
Gym sessions are limited to a maximum of 55-minutes. Due to the restricted numbers allowed in the gym at any one time, we want to make sure that we give all our customers the opportunity to stay active and feel great, so, we have limited each gym session to 55 minutes.

How do I know the equipment is clean?
Staff are on hand to clean the equipment throughout the day, and we also expect customers to clean their own equipment before and after each use. Staff have received additional training in response to the Covid-19 health and safety requirements and will be regularly cleaning all gym equipment throughout the day to ensure our customers enjoy a safe visit. In addition, all customers will be asked to clean equipment before and after use. Cleaning stations will be clearly marked within the gym.

Are there time limits for the use of equipment?
Yes. We ask that you limit your time on any one piece of equipment to 20 minutes. This will allow everyone the opportunity to use the equipment. If the gym is quieter, this can be extended, but if people are waiting please keep to the 20 minutes as suggested. We want to give all customers the opportunity to use the equipment that is available for use. To do this, we ask that at busy times, you limit your use of each piece of equipment to 20 minutes. We thank you in advance for your support.

Can I shower after my Gym visit?
Unfortunately, the shower areas will not be unavailable, we ask that customers please shower at home.

Can I request to use a specific piece of equipment that is not in use?
While we would like to rotate equipment in and out of use due to the 2-metre rule, this is not reasonably practical for us to achieve across all our gyms so we have listed what will be available for you to use and our staff can offer an alternative exercise to work the area/muscle you want to target. To ensure all our customers can get active safely we have identified a wide range of gym equipment that can be used during this time. Our website will clearly show what equipment is available in each venue and all equipment within our centres has been clearly labelled. Our gym staff will be on hand to offer you any support and guidance you need while we work with these new procedures.

Group Fitness

Why is there a 30-minute gap between group fitness classes?
We take the health and safety of our customers seriously. The time gap between classes allows our staff to thoroughly clean the area to ensure you enjoy a safe experience within our centres.

Why are the group fitness classes being held in the sports hall and not the group fitness studio?
We want to ensure the safety of our group fitness customers. To allow us to adhere to the 2-metre social distancing rule, we have used our sports hall to give customers a large, safe space within which to enjoy their class. Why are some classes I used to attend, not on the timetable? We hope you will enjoy the variety of sessions our instructors will deliver for you. To ensure the safety of our customers and to adhere strictly to social distancing restrictions, some sessions cannot be delivered at present. We look forward to being able to extend our group fitness programme when restrictions allow.

How will you ensure that the centre is a safe environment for me to enjoy my group fitness class?
The health and safety of our customers are of the utmost importance to us. Following industry guidelines, enhanced cleaning measures have been put in place, and specific exercise work stations have been defined within sports halls, to ensure you can exercise safely following 2-metre social distancing.

Why are all classes a maximum of 45-minutes?
To ensure the enjoyment and safety of all our group fitness participants, all sessions will be a maximum of 45-minutes to allow us to clean workstations between classes.

Leisure Active

Leisure Active How do I restart my Direct Debit Leisure Active membership?
You don’t have to do anything; your membership access will be automatically restarted on the 14th September 2020 and your next Direct Debit payment will be taken on the 1st November 2020.

I’ve cancelled my Direct Debit with the bank, how do I re-start it?
We are not able to re-activate a Direct Debit if it has been cancelled by you through your bank. Please visit your local leisure centre or our online portal to complete a new application.

I don’t feel comfortable coming back now, can I continue to freeze my membership payments?
Yes, please see full details on our phased opening dates.

I’m an upfront payer i.e. Annual Member or Monthly Pass holder, how can I claim my lost time back? -
We will honour all lost time on annual memberships and monthly passes affected by the closure period, please see our phased opening dates.

Swimming Lessons

Why have these sites been chosen to reopen but not others?
The trust is rolling out a phased re-opening which ensures the safety of our customers and staff and means that new regulations are applied to the highest standards.

For the safety of our staff and customers, only venues where we can ensure social distancing can be practised will reopen in this first phase, we will be updating customers with details of additional facilities when we implement the second phase of re-opening.

We would ask you for your support and patience while we work hard to prepare Covid-ready facilities.

Why is my child’s class not returning?
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust manage 14 facilities across Fife and not all are suitable to accommodate the required Covid-19 health and safety requirements. The trust is rolling out a phased re-opening which ensures the safety of our customers and staff and means that new regulations are applied to the highest standards. For the safety of our staff and customers, only venues where we can ensure social distancing can be practised will reopen in this first phase, we will be updating customers with details of additional facilities when we implement the second phase of re-opening. If we have any vacant spaces in the classes that are returning, customers can request to move classes. Our Learn to Swim co-ordinators will happily assist further. We would ask you for your support and patience while we work hard to prepare Covid-ready facilities.

How do I restart my Learn to Swim Direct Debit membership?
You don’t have to do anything; your membership access will be automatically restarted on the 12th October 2020 and your next Direct Debit payment will be taken on the 1st November 2020.

I’ve cancelled my Direct Debit with the bank, how do I re-start it?
We are not able to re-activate a Direct Debit if it has been cancelled by you through your bank. Please visit your local leisure centre to complete a new application and hand in to reception.

I don’t feel comfortable coming back now, can I continue to freeze my membership payments?
Yes, please contact us at Aquaticsadmin@fifeleisure.org.uk for further details. I’m an instalment payer i.e. pay 5 times throughout the year.

When is my child’s swimming lessons due to be paid?
Our Learn to Swim Programme is returning on a phased approach. If your child’s class is due to return payment can be made at reception or over the telephone. All return payment details will be included in our communication to you and available on our website

I would like my child to continue with swimming lessons however I’m struggling financially to make the payments. What can I do?
Speak with your Learn to Swim Co-ordinator and we can work with you, to maintain your child within the programme.

Why are you recommending we come to swimming lessons ‘Beach Ready’?
What we mean by ‘beach style turn up and swim’ is that, wherever possible, arrive at the pool already wearing your swimming costumes underneath your clothes, having already showered at home. We are encouraging swimmers to do this to minimise the time spent in changing areas. Similarly, we are encouraging swimmers to shower at home after their swimming lesson, again to minimise the time spent in the changing and shower areas after each lesson.

What do I do with my child’s belongings when they are changed?
Locker use is limited therefore we recommend that all personal belongings are stored in a bag and retained by you at all times.

Why is my child’s swimming lesson in a different part of the pool?
Due the varied layouts of our leisure centres, we need to maintain social distancing between our swimming instructors and customers, so, it may be necessary to utilise all available pool space and deliver our swimming lessons from different areas of the pool.

I’m a single parent family, with two children. Your recommendation is one adult to accompany one child to lessons. What can I do?
Our recommendation of one adult to one child is to reduce the amount of people in our facilities at one time. If you are experiencing difficulties due to your personal circumstances, please speak with your Learn to Swim Co-ordinator.

My child is currently in pre-school class but will be starting primary 1 in August, what happens now?
We will be working through our lists of children progressing to the next level and contacting parent/carers as soon as spaces become available. Due to our programmes returning on a phased approach its likely that this will take us a little longer than previous years. In the meantime, your child’s swimming instructor will ensure that during the lessons, your child will be learning new skills.

Can I still spectate whilst my child is in swimming lessons?
Yes, however spectating facilities are limited in each centre to maintain social distancing.

I attend the Adult & Child classes, what do I do with my belongings whilst we are in the pool?
There is limited available changing rooms and lockers in our changing rooms for you to use.