Cheltenham Borough Council has been awarded £220,000 to support the recovery of Leisure at Cheltenham and the Prince of Wales Stadium.

The council-owned venues, which are run by the not-for-profit Cheltenham Trust charity, have lost around £2.1million in revenue since the introduction of lockdown restrictions last March.

Sport England's National Leisure Recovery Fund has awarded the money ahead of the scheduled reopening form next month.

The gym and pool at Leisure at Cheltenham are due to reopen for individual use from April 12 under the Government's roadmap with organised indoor adult sport and group exercise classes from May 17.

Councillor Flo Clucas, cabinet member healthy lifestyles, said: "Cheltenham Borough Council welcomes this important grant from Sport England which will help Leisure at Cheltenham and the Prince of Wales stadium to begin to recover and rebuild from the significant impact of the pandemic.

"Covid19 has demonstrated more than ever how important a healthy and active lifestyle is for us all and how vital the sporting and leisure facilities provided by Leisure at Cheltenham and the Prince of Wales stadium are and will continue to be as we come out of the pandemic."

The Cheltenham Trust board of trustees chairman Louis Eperjesi said the last year has been incredibly difficult for the charity.

He said: "Sport and leisure will continue to play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of the community and we are looking forward to when we can begin to re-open Leisure at Cheltenham and the Prince of Wales Stadium.

"We have been working in close partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council, our lead partner, to do everything possible to safeguard the future of these vital leisure and sporting venues which contribute so much to the cultural landscape of Cheltenham and to ensure future sustainability of The Cheltenham Trust."