Falkirk to help low income residents get access to local leisure services

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Falkirk councillors have agreed to expand a leisure scheme for people on low incomes to include care-experienced young people and asylum seekers.

The council's Go Card - a concessionary card offering free or discounted access to council-run leisure services - will be relaunched as Go Card PLUS in a bid to help more people living in poverty stay healthy and well during the cost of living crisis.

At a meeting of Falkirk Council's executive today (Tuesday) councillors agreed that offering free or low-cost entry to leisure facilities, including swimming, would help people on very low incomes stay healthy and well. READ MORE: Falkirk community events get free pass for traffic management Also eligible are full-time students, people receiving benefits and those aged over 65.

The enhanced scheme will also make it easier for families to be helped as the council has pledged a "whole family approach" to the new scheme.The changes have been made as part of the council's commitment to reducing poverty.The council leader, Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, said it was a recognition that "the cost of living crisis has not gone away and will continue to be with us for some time".Councillors particularly welcomed the fact that the scheme finally includes care-experienced young people.Cllr Meiklejohn said that this was something that members of Falkirk Champions Board - which gives care-experienced young people a voice in decision-making - have long said would make a real difference to their mental health and wellbeing.She said: "The Champs Board have been asking for this for a number of years and we eventually said 'it's the right thing to do so lets get on with it'.