Thousands of people return to Harborough district leisure centres - how have the new measures worked?

Thousands of people have returned to leisure centres in the Harborough district after their reopening last month.

Bosses at the centres say the reopening has been a success thanks to the partnership and financial support from Harborough District Council.

Harborough Leisure Centre and Lutterworth Sports Centre were able to reopen their gyms and group exercise studios on August 1 after being closed for almost five months due to the UK wide lockdown.

The reopening measures included one-way systems, enhanced cleaning regimes and structured sessions - and more than 20,000 people have visited the centres since the reopening.

As part of a phased reopening plan, the swimming pool facilities at Harborough Leisure Centre and Lutterworth Sports Centre reopened on August 20 for bookable lane swimming and August 22 for swimming lessons.

More than 10,500 customers have returned to the pool since opening, with almost all swimming lesson pupils integrating back into the COVID secure swim lesson layouts.

Matt Hopkin, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “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, badminton and table tennis have returned and we are looking to reintroduce more activities over the coming months, including netball and tennis clubs.

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

Cllr Simon Whelband, Harborough District Council portfolio holder for wellbeing, said “It’s great to see how well Harborough Leisure Centre and Lutterworth Sports Centre teams have adapted to the new guidelines and that people are really enjoying using these facilities again.

"In addition to the robust safety measures, socially distanced workout classes and swimming lessons on-site, the wide range of online classes available means there is something to suit everyone.”