We continue to work as quickly as possible to carry out repairs to Helensburgh Leisure Centre following the damage done by red weather event Storm Eowyn, and this remains a priority We are working closely with our loss adjusters insurers and disaster recovery specialists to protect and fix the damage caused.  Whilst not apparent from external viewpoints work has been done internally to protect the building as reasonably practicable and a waterproof membrane has been attached to the roof A site meeting took place last week with contractors and we were able to realign the fencing cordoning off the site to enable public access to a section of the pier. We aim to get the leisure centre open again as soon as is feasibly possible We cannot yet give a definite timescale at this stage because various key steps and survey work are ongoing and repair details are being finalised with contractors and insurer.  We will provide updates once the programme to complete the repair is confirmed Enquiries@argyll-bute.gov.uk A team of runners from all over the world ran into Helensburgh last week bringing the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Relay to the town the Run has visited almost every country on earth – over 170 nations and territories – and touched the lives of millions of people On this visit to Helensburgh the runners were welcomed to the town by Argyll and Bute’s Provost Dougie Philand visit organiser Irene Sommerville and Helensburgh Central councillor Fiona Howard They were piped in by Colin Smith from Helensburgh Pipe band and a second piper Norman McPhee was on hand to pipe them into the civic centre for refreshments Toni Taylor from Nature’s Harvest handed out fresh fruit cups and freshly squeezed orange juice to the relay team and their support as well as tor many of the townsfolk who ere their to enjoy the spectacle Many people opted to hold the lighted peace torch and an enthusiastic group of young people chose to run with it along side team members Local musician Robert Ryan gave a brief concert of Scottish folk song and music The group moved to the Civic Centre for a vegetarian and vegan buffet prepared by the centre’s catering team and it the Sri Chinoy team were delighted to be able take supplies home with them Mrs Sommerville said: “I was delighted so many people came out to see the runners and I would like to thank everyone who helped make it such a happy day “The runners enjoyed themselves very much and have asked if they can come back again in the future.” She added: “It was nice to see all the folks who were passing through the square join in holding the torch and making a wish for peace and the children running round the square holding the peace flame torch Cllr Howard aid: “I was really happy to have been involved in this It was an inspiring experience and I was delighted to assist with the organisation “I would also like to thank our provost for taking the time to attend and of course the runners for visiting Helensburgh on their incredible journey.” as the runners travel from nation to nation Anyone who wants to be there to see the runners arrive will be very welcome to attend The runners were: Abhejali Bernardová (Czech Republic) Enter your email address to receive notifications of news by email All material on this website is © copyright of the Lochside Press and cannot be reproduced without permission The facility in Helensburgh was damaged in the storm almost three months ago and work is ongoing to identify a solution. The £22m waterfront leisure centre and swimming pool, which only opened in 2022, sustained “extensive wind and rainwater damage” during the strong winds, with debris left strewn across the streets. A report by Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for finance and commercial services has detailed the effects of Storm Eowyn across the area. Councillor Ross Moreland (Liberal Democrat, Dunoon) said that work was ongoing to identify a solution at the leisure centre after the storm on January 24. The details are given in a report which will go before the full council at its meeting on Thursday, April 24. Councillor Moreland said: “Following the devastating effects of Storm Eowyn on January 24, property services have been working hard to assist with the recovery work across the council estate, which saw over 100 incidents logged with the team. “The majority of incidents related to roof damage, broken windows, water ingress, electrical issues and fallen debris, but there was notable damage to a number of buildings including Park Primary School, Glencruitten Hostel, Struan Lodge and Helensburgh Leisure Centre (HLC). “With regard to HLC, the building has sustained extensive wind and rainwater damage. It has a fragile roof and to ensure public safety a cordon has been put in place around it. “Works have been undertaken since then to make the building wind and water tight through the installation of waterproof membrane and a rainwater capture system. “Survey work is also underway and the council is working with its insurer to inform the development of a strategy for a permanent design solution. “Following this work a report will be prepared for council setting out a number of options for consideration. Live Argyll have put in place alternative arrangements to provide temporary gym facilities at Helensburgh Library (available since February 19) with the library re-locating to Hermitage Park Pavilion. “I would like to thank all the staff at Live Argyll for their hard work and quick response in restarting the gym facilities as quickly as possible.” Planning permission was recently awarded for the gym and library to remain in their current premises for up to three years. However, no date has been identified for when the leisure centre could reopen. STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" Renfrewshire News Birkmyre finished the season off on a high with a victory over Lomond Helensburgh on Saturday The game was lower scoring than anticipated with only 4 tries from both sides Birkmyre came out on top by 21 points to 8 It took nearly 15 minutes for the first score were being very competitive but had not managed to convert their possession into points Birkmyre then won a scrum about 10m out to the right of the pitch The backs worked the ball across the line and it ended up in the hands of winger Adam Hannah Using his pace & power he drove forward pushing two defenders away as he crossed the whitewash near the corner David Cruickshank slotted over the conversion from the 5m line It took until the 61st minute for that confidence to pay off Birkmyre had been threatening the opposition try line for a few minutes Callum Moglia took charge and from a tap & go he powered over single handedly for the 5 points Moglia then scored his second on the 66th minute but this time it was much more of a team effort Having won a scrum 10m inside their own half Moglia started the move with a number 8 pick-up The backs and forwards combined to go through multiple phases They then went wide left with the backs and got the ball once again into Adam Hannah’s hands He took the ball 30m before sliding a pass to Michael McGeoch He was then tackled 2m short of the line but had the vision to pop the ball to Moglia who was running in support for a walk in under the posts The game then came to a slightly early end one the Helensburgh players suffered a serious head knock There was no foul play however medical attention was needed As a result of not being able to move the player from the field Birkmyre finish the season 5th in the table which is very respectable given they only won promotion into the division last year They will look to build on this success and push for promotion again next season Thank you to Fiona Wallace for photographs from today’s match Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"