The Pickaquoy Centre Trust and Orkney Islands Council today announced a new leisure link partnership with four other areas of Scotland that will see ActiveLife members able to access leisure facilities out with Orkney for the first time.
The scheme, involving the four other areas will be known as the “Leisure Link Partnership”.
Believed to be the first of its type in Scotland, ActiveLife members will now be able to access gym, public swimming and fitness classes at leisure facilities across the Highland Region, Moray, The Western Isles and Argyll and Bute at no extra cost.
Many of the individual Leisure Link Partnership sites will also offer access to other public sessions where cardholders can take part in many other activities such as running and indoor climbing.
The Leisure Link Partnership means that when working away from home or on holiday members from participating areas can, at no extra cost, use the local facilities as part of their existing home based membership.
Chair of Community Leisure UK and High Life Highland Chief Executive Ian Murray said, “I am delighted to see the Leisure Link Partnership come to fruition as we have been working on this project for some time with colleagues in Moray, The Western Isles, Orkney and Argyll and Bute.
We are constantly looking for ways to widen the services offered to highlife members and the Leisure Link Partnership is a major step forward enabling them and their family the flexibility to use their cards at one of the partnership sites, and most importantly…at no extra cost.
We are also pleased to have initiated what we understand to be the first ever multi-area reciprocal card scheme in Scotland.
And although the initial participants in the partnership are across the north of Scotland, we are in ongoing discussions with other areas in Scotland as well as in both Northern Ireland and Wales which have also adopted the highlife model across their own culture and leisure services. So we are hopeful that the Leisure Link Partnership may soon be available not only in the Highlands and Islands but also further afield!”
Mr Murray concluded, “Along with the other participating areas, I am delighted to see the Leisure Link Partnership launched and look forward to seeing the scheme develop and grow as other areas see the benefits for their members and look to come on board.”
James Linklater, Managing Director of The Pickaquoy Centre, said: “We are delighted to be part of this new partnership which is a fantastic addition to the ActiveLife membership. With Easter holidays just around the corner, our members who are holidaying in partnering areas will have the opportunity to make use of this exciting new service. We also look forward to welcoming visitors to our fantastic facilities.
“We would like to remind our members that each individual that holds an ActiveLife membership needs their own card to utilise this addition in partnering facilities. This includes all children within a family membership, so please be sure to pop into the Centre or selected Orkney Islands Council facility and get cards for each member of your family.”
Garry Burton, Orkney Islands Council’s Sport and Leisure Service Manager, said: “This is a superb addition to what’s already a great value membership for people in Orkney. Furthermore, the ActiveLife ethos of More People, More Active, More Often has never been easier.”
Visiting cardholders are advised to check out the “Leisure Link Partnership” section in their local centre’s website to establish full access details or visit the Leisure Link website.