High Life Highland reopening 'is not going to be like turning a light switch on', boss admits
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THE re-opening of leisure facilities across the Highlands as the country emerges cautiously from the coronavirus lockdown "is not going to be like turning a light switch on".
That's the view of High Life Highland chief executive Steve Walsh as the body in charge of a wide range of public facilities from libraries to leisure centres starts to figure out how it can safely begin to welcome its customers back following a three-month lay-off.
Bosses are already considering starting a waiting list of prospective new HHL members due to restrictions on space and a likely high demand for services once the doors begin to open again.
Mr Walsh made his remarks as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the latest phase of the Scottish Government's route map through and out of the crisis.
He said: "I am grateful to our board of directors for their support, direction and guidance. We are delighted to be able to start talking about our plans to reopen some of our venues in line with the guidelines previously set out and highlighted by the First Minister.
"Our teams have already been working hard in the background preparing to bounce back from Covid-19 and begin to welcome our customers into facilities once again.
“Whilst we are all keen to get back to some normality as quickly as possible it is not going to be like turning a light switch on.We are planning a phased approach that will encompass thorough cleaning regimes, social distancing and hand sanitising measures as part of the daily programme. To accommodate the new measures and provide a safe environment for our customers to enjoy means that our opening hours will have to be adjusted accordingly for the foreseeable future.”
Ian Ross, chairman of the High Life Highland Board said: “A substantial amount of work has gone on before and during lockdown to protect customers, staff and the wider services provided by the charity. That work will obviously continue in the forthcoming weeks and months to implement the Scottish Government’s route map.
“Whilst we are all keen to get back to some normality as quickly as possible it is not going to be like turning a light switch on.We are planning a phased approach that will encompass thorough cleaning regimes, social distancing and hand sanitising measures as part of the daily programme."
Steve Walsh
"In addition, I am aware that HLH has many hundreds of staff currently on furlough leave and they have been using their work-related skills and qualifications to volunteer and assist with essential work in communities across the Highlands. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the many HLH staff who have made such an important contribution over the last number of months."
The Scottish Government’s route map update has relaxed opening legislation to include more types of businesses. The charity is already considering introducing waiting lists for new members as due to social distancing measures capacities at venues are likely to be restricted at a time when relative demand is expected to be high.
The phased recovery process is being led by the charity's corporate programme manager, Simon Swanson who admitted "the situation facing us at the moment is very fluid with guidance being re-evaluated frequently". Ms Sturgeon's announcement means HLH can start looking at outdoor locations such as Inverness Botanic Gardens and Nursery "and how we will be able to operate the site at some level and still meet the current guidelines".
Mr Swanson said:“We are already working on what Phase 3 of the route map might look like for the charity and have identified that the increased use of technology will be vital to the process of reopening, allowing customers to book spaces and help us manage capacity within sites to ensure an enjoyable experience. We will monitor the guidelines closely over the coming weeks and will fully implement any further steps that may be required to protect people using our gym space for example prior to opening.We will be providing further updates through our website and social media channels once we have confirmed dates and time scales."
Related: Shops get signal for opening as Nicola Sturgeon indicates next phase
