INVERCLYDE Leisure is in the running for two major honours.

The organisation is up for prizes at the prestigious National Fitness Awards, which celebrates excellence in fitness centres across Britain.

IL’s Waterfront Gym has been shortlisted for ‘regional gym of the year Scotland’ while the leisure trust as a whole is in with a chance of lifting the UK-wide ‘community involvement’ award for its work with various groups, including charities and the NHS.

Andrew Hetherington, IL operations manager said: “We are delighted to be nominated for the National Fitness Awards and we are very hopeful that all our teams’ hard work and dedication to our members and customers is recognised at this prestigious UK wide event.

“We are competing against some of the biggest operators in the UK and we hope to fly the flag for Scotland and Inverclyde.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal members for helping us achieve this magnificent recognition.”

IL operates fitness suites, pools and community centres across Inverclyde, including seven gyms, three pools and an ice rink, and runs over 200 exercise classes a week.

The organisation has over 7,600 members throughout the district.

The Waterfront Leisure Complex alone, which opened 20 years ago this month, has 3,100 members and staff welcome over one million people through the doors each year.

Gym user Hazel Thomlinson, 22, from Greenock, says it is worthy of recognition.

She said: “It’s a great facility and the staff are very friendly.”
IL and the Waterfront have had success in the past, including being named best local authority gym in Britain in 2011.

David McCorkindale, head of leisure and community facilities, says the nominations are is all down to the hard work of staff and dedication of customers.

He said: “I’d like to thank loyal staff for all their hard work and the loyal members, many of whom have used the Waterfront for decades.”

A representative from the organisers will now visit each finalist to look around their facilities before winners are announced at a ceremony at The Athena in Leicester on December 1.