According to data gathered by the SNP, council owned fitness facilities have witnessed a substantial rise in visits over the last four years.

The party has collated membership figures for the past decade from 22 out of 32 of Scotland’s local authorities, with data collected through Freedom of Information requests, showing an overall 36% increase in the last three years.

During this time, since the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Aberdeen alone has seen an astounding 90.5% rise in people using local, council owned gyms.

Sport Aberdeen, the city’s principal provider of public sport and leisure facilities, is dedicated to creating opportunities for each and every person in Aberdeen to take part in sport and physical activity; with every penny generated reinvested into the communities and the people it serves.

In the last year Sport Aberdeen has witnessed a 75% per cent increase in membership uptakes, reflecting a rise in use of facilities at the heart of the local community.

Commenting, Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen Director for Operations and Asset Development, said “We’ve invested over £1million during the last 12 months to improve our citywide facilities and we are looking forward to continuing this commitment to quality and accessibility over the coming years.”

19 venues citywide and membership options starting from as young as five years old ensures that Sport Aberdeen is providing a platform for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to take part in sport and physical activity at affordable prices in the heart of many local communities.

Aberdeen City Council recently signed a pledge to back a citywide campaign which is set to kick off early this year aimed at Activating the City. The campaign, led by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP), will champion a move to make 2018 the Year of an ‘Active City’, helping more people take part in sport and physical activity, creating better lifestyles and improving overall wellbeing.

Keith Gerrard also added:

“These figures are hugely encouraging and we are immensely proud of this turnaround. It is brilliant to see such a steep rise in the number of people using council owned facilities. With Aberdeen witnessing one of largest increases in Scotland, it is my hope that these numbers continue to rise.

“We are incredibly proud to offer such a diverse range of membership options and initiatives from which the whole community can benefit. We pride ourselves of offering sporting opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

“As a registered charity and the largest organisation of its kind in the North East, Sport Aberdeen is committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives through sport and physical activity.”