A community centre in East Kilbride is being earmarked as a new base for Olympian Kirsty Gilmour's badminton academy.
South Lanarkshire Council are in talks with BASE (Badminton Academy Social Enterprise CIC) to lease Stewartfield Community Centre long term.
The BASE organisation is headed by Lanarkshire's Kirsty Gilmour, the current GB#1 and two time Olympic badminton professional.
Bothwell-born Kirsty will be in town next Sunday, November 27 to host a free badminton taster session at the venue from 2.30pm to 4.30pm where the Academy will be showcasing its takeover bid to members of the local community.
The taster will be open to anyone of all ages and abilities to come along and try the racket sport.
Kirsty told Lanarkshire Live: "Our number one remit at BASE is to get as many people across Scotland playing and enjoying badminton as possible.
"We truly mean this in a fully inclusive sense regardless of race, religion, gender, ability, sexuality, financial situation or any other barrier that could limit someone's access to such a brilliant sport.
"Stewartfield Community Centre would be a great place for us to call home, to engage, and integrate with the local community. We are only looking to add to the already activity rich community.
"I'm really looking forward to making a strong connection with the Stewartfield community and can't wait to get some rackets in some hands."
A BASE spokesman told Lanarkshire Live: "The reason to hold the event at Stewartfield Community Centre is that BASE would like to engage with the local community and showcase its plans, and explore how we can work with existing centre users and the local community to ensure that the centre is able to support diverse activities in addition to our proposed usage.
"BASE are currently in early negotiations with South Lanarkshire Council to look at the viability of using community asset transfer legislation to obtain a long term lease which would ensure the continued operation of the facility for the people of East Kilbride and South Lanarkshire.
Local councillors will also be present at the event as well as representatives of South Lanarkshire Council.
A council spokesman told us: "We can confirm that BASE are currently in early negotiations with South Lanarkshire Council to look at the viability of using community asset transfer legislation to obtain a long term lease for this facility."
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