ANGUSalive has reviewed its re-opening arrangements with additional opening hours for a number of its venues across Angus being introduced from October.
Sports centres and community campuses will see their collective opening hours increase by 55 hours a week, with more services and activities including birthday parties and access to sauna and steam rooms soon to make a return. A number of sports venues will see weekend opening times extended.
ANGUSalive Libraries will see their opening hours enhanced to include an additional 58.5 hours collectively across all seven libraries. The ANGUSalive mobile libraries and home delivery service will continue to offer services to rural communities and customers who find it difficult to visit libraries in-person. Face-to-face ACCESS services will also continue to be available across all libraries. In addition, popular children’s Bookbug sessions have recently made a return to our venues and more face-to-face adult and children’s groups will be rolled out, including reminiscence, knit and knatter and reading groups from 4 October to celebrate National Libraries Week.
After 18 months of closure, the Webster Memorial Theatre in Arbroath will reopen from 1 October with Scottish musician and Idlewilde frontman Roddy Woomble first to raise the theatre curtain. Upcoming shows this year include Money for Nothing, a Dire Straits Tribute; Hotel California, A Night of Eagles Music and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Country parks including Crombie and Monikie remain open with a range of activities on offer. Visitors can also continue to enjoy the beautiful outdoors in Angus at Forfar Loch and Glen Doll.
Signal Tower Museum in Arbroath; Meffan Museum in Forfar and Montrose Museum, will see their opening times reduce to coincide with the winter season and reduced tourism period. Following the October school holidays, the museums will be open from Thursday to Saturday 10am-3pm. Brechin Town House Museum and Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens, will remain closed over the forthcoming winter period with plans for them to reopen at the start of the key Spring tourist season in April 2022.
Angus Archives will reopen for in person ancestry and family history research by appointment only, Thursday to Saturday 10am-4pm, the team also continue to be available for remote services.
ANGUSalive Chief Executive Kirsty Hunter, said: “It’s important to highlight everyone at ANGUSalive wants to reopen services when we can. We know our customers are keen to see services return as soon as possible. However, all our reopening decisions have been made in accordance with demand and affordability.
“Like many other organisations and trusts, the pandemic has been detrimental to our ability to operate and generate income. Our income levels in Sport & Leisure, which provides the majority of our self-generated income, is currently at 60% compared to pre-Covid levels and our income levels are also affected in other areas of the charity. This results in around £1.377m less income being generated to support the delivery and development of services. This is an impactful figure and highlights that we need to manage the financial implications of the crisis carefully and reopen gradually in line with demand to ensure the long-term survival of the trust and the services it provides to the local community and visitors.
“We hope that the public will continue to support us and understand the difficult and challenging position we find ourselves in. On behalf of everyone at ANGUSalive, I’d like to thank the local community and ask for their continued support by visiting our venues and taking part in the range or activities we are able to offer right now. This includes an excellent range of October holiday activities across Angus for little ones and grown-ups. Your support will also help the future of culture, sport and leisure services in Angus in the months and years ahead.”
To view more on what ANGUSalive has to offer visit www.angusalive.scot
You can view the new opening times for ANGUSalive venues here.
ANGUSalive
ANGUSalive (SC046133) is the culture, sport and leisure trust for the county of Angus and has been operating since December 2015.
