NEARLY a fifth more people are attending sports centres in the Kingdom with latest figures revealing a record-high number in memberships.

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust have reported the surge across their 14 venues – including the Carnegie, Duloch and Dalgety Bay sites – over the last month.

In April, 17 per cent more people used the facilities while the aquatic and indoor facilities surpassed their yearly performance benchmarks with 94,966 visits to swimming pools, indoor visits hitting 106,357 and outdoor visits achieving 25,166 to date.

The results come amid concerns over a lack of swimming facilities in West Fife with the closure of Woodmill High and uncertainty over the future of the Wing at Inverkeithing High.

READ MORE: Fife Sports and Leisure Trust changes membership structure

The trust said the record-high membership numbers are down to its updated structure, providing access to various venues, facilities and health and wellbeing activities.

CEO Emma Walker said: "The dedication of our team and the enthusiastic response from our members have been crucial in surpassing our targets. We are excited to build on this success and continue to offer exceptional services that benefit everyone in our community."

Key programmes such as 'Learn to Swim' have seen substantial 'user engagement' and satisfaction. With 8,153 participants to date, it is one of the largest swimming programmes in Scotland.

The trust says the success is a testament to the dedication and excellence of their instructors who have created an inspiring and beneficial programme for individuals of all ages.