The start of this year feels like a decade ago - but this week I found a note from January that my total distance run on the gym treadmill was the best I’d done in four years.

I have no doubt that the reason I’ve been able to build healthy habits is because my gym is just a ten minute walk from home.

That’s one of the key ideas behind Glasgow Life - centres at the heart of communities, including the neighbourhoods private gyms ignore because they’re not profitable enough.

People who can’t afford private memberships can take part, meet new people and take care of their physical health with huge mental health benefits too.

My local gym, at Whitehill Pool, is a treasure - a wee community in itself. I got to know the other early morning regulars and it’s been like having extra grandparents - we laugh about how knackered we feel, or the freezing weather, and keep each other going. I miss my exercise routine, and I miss my pals even more.

Our pools, gyms, libraries and community centres are special. They are hubs of activity and connection, places of small everyday acts that add up to richer, more fulfilled lives. And for people who face more barriers, these services are nothing short of a lifeline.

Whitehill Pool is one of very few in Glasgow which is suitable for disabled swimmers, with the right water level and specially adapted toilets and changing facilities after local campaigners fought hard. Members of Temple Swimming Club, an incredible community of disabled people, carers and family based at Whitehill, describe the club sessions as the only place they are able to exercise, socialise and feel accepted.

Our libraries, meanwhile, are sacred spaces. There are so few places you can spend time without needing to spend money, and libraries are that bastion of dignity and welcome. You can access the internet and printing facilities, borrow cookbooks, learn english, take your toddler to a BookBug session, learn about local history, or read for pleasure at no cost. Libraries also offer crucial support for people on Universal Credit, going through the asylum system or, via the amazing Macmillan hubs, living with cancer.

We’ve already had to fight hard for our community spaces, with council budgets under so much pressure from government and increased need. Scottish Greens will always defend community assets - that's why we have reversed cuts to council funding in national budget negotiations. But now there’s a huge new challenge because of Covid-19.

It’s been 40 weeks now since most of our beloved community venues closed their doors. We need them. We miss them. Glasgow Life, the charity which runs them on behalf of the council, has lost millions of pounds in membership fees and cancelled events this year, and Greens have campaigned for a Scottish Government bailout - we shouldn’t be backing big business before protecting vital community spaces. We’ve been told some money is forthcoming, but we’re still in the dark. It’s time for clarity so we know these spaces can open as soon as it’s safe - they’re just too important for Glasgow.