Kick-off for schools sports pitch hire
CHILDREN and young people are coming off the bench with sports pitch hires at Inverclyde schools kicking off again next week.
The facilities at Inverclyde Academy, Notre Dame High, Port Glasgow Community Campus, Clydeview Academy and St Columba’s High will be available to book from Monday (24 August) for the first time in five months for children and young people aged 5-17.
The pitches at Notre Dame will not be available for use immediately due to ongoing maintenance, which is expected to be finished by the second week in September.
Work is also scheduled for the Port Glasgow Community Campus and St Columba’s facilities at points in September and October and on the Inverclyde Academy playing surface at a later date.
School pitches were closed to the public following the schools shutdown in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Clubs and teams can now hire council outdoor sports areas Monday to Friday from 6-8.30pm for training and matches only through Inverclyde Leisure.
Indoor changing facilities remain unavailable in line with national guidance.
Councillor Jim Clocherty, convener of education and communities, said: “I’m delighted that following further easing of Scottish Government restrictions that we’re able to reopen our first-class sports pitches – part of the council’s unprecedented £270 million investment in our schools estate – for clubs and teams for the benefit of our children and young people. It’s also good to see continued investment in these sports pitches to ensure they are in peak condition for our pupils and wider communities for years to come.
“This will allow Inverclyde’s wealth of youth sports organisations to resume training and competitive games and get back to some form of normality following several months of lockdown.”
Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld, Inverclyde’s sports champion, said: “Encouraging increased physical activity is important for the health and wellbeing of everyone but especially our young people after such a long spell on the sidelines due to the pandemic.
“The pitches are used mostly for football, rugby and hockey but they are suitable for a variety of outdoor sports.”
As indoor changing facilities remain closed until further notice due to national restrictions, players will have to turn up ready to train.
Bookings must be made with Inverclyde Leisure by calling 01475 213131 between 9am and 12pm or emailing bookingoffice@inverclydeleisure.com.
Payments must be made at the time of booking and clubs are required to ensure that protocols are in place, including recording contact details for the Scottish Government’s coronavirus test and protect tracing system.