Armed with placards and a banner bearing the slogan “No Leisure Trust” the women made their stand at Dunterlie Resource Centre last week. Organised by the Renfrewshire Anti-Cuts Group, the women say they do not want to see jobs on the line and control of leisure buildings taken out of public hands.

One woman, speaking to the Barrhead News, said: “The fact is that if the trust plans go ahead then the leisure facilities are being taken out of public hands and accountability for the services is being lost.

“It’s even more galling when you look at the current leisure centre building works and realise that all that money is being spent and then immediately handed over to a company we know nothing about.” Council bosses approved the plans to move all leisure centres, community centres public service buildings such as libraries over to an East Renfrewshire Leisure Trust in an effort to save costs. Trade unions were consulted by East Renfrewshire Council as the wheels towards an independent trust started rolling.

Unison publicly objected to the plans, releasing a statement that urged residents to lobby East Renfrewshire Council and bosses to keep the area’s leisure facilities in public hands. The plan would see sports venues, plus their staff, transfer to the charitable trust by summer 2015.

This includes Barrhead and Neilston leisure centres, Eastwood Leisure Centre, 10 libraries, 19 community halls, a park, Eastwood Theatre as well as sports services provided by the council such as Active Schools and sports development programmes.

On Thursday night last week Barrhead Community Councillor’s also questioned the lack of public consultation over the plans.

An East Renfrewshire Council spokesman previously said: “It is important that all our staff have access to the facts and we will provide much information and reassurance as we can throughout the process.”