Day: September 24, 2025

Moving Edinburgh Forward: National Fitness Day and Edinburgh Leisure’s Vision for an Active City

ON National Fitness Day 2025 (Wednesday, 24th September), Edinburgh Leisure is celebrating the power of physical activity with an inspiring message from one of its most energetic instructors – 88-year-old Helen Flannigan.

This year’s theme, “Powered By You!”, encourages people of all ages and abilities to discover what motivates them to move more. Organised by ukactive, the nationwide campaign highlights the physical and mental health benefits of staying active.

Helen Flannigan, who was awarded the Lifestyle Achievement Award by the International Fitness Showcase in March 2025, an annual fitness convention in Blackpool, teaches four weekly Fit Steps and Zumba classes at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, and her sessions are anything but gentle.

Known for her fast-paced routines, Helen leaves her dancers sweating and smiling – proving that age is no barrier to fitness.

She’s even signed up for training as an instructor for Work It Out, a musical theatre-inspired workout developed by Flick Hannah, which Edinburgh Leisure offers and is proving very popular, with classes often having waitlists.

Helen Flannigan said: “National Fitness Day is a great reminder that movement is for everyone. The theme ‘Powered By You!’ is about finding what makes you feel good and being part of something bigger.

“Even small changes can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing.”

Alex Smith, Fitness Class Manager at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Helen is a true inspiration. Her energy, commitment, and inclusive approach make her classes a highlight of the week for many of our members.”

Celebrating Impact

Edinburgh Leisure has recently launched its second Impact Report, showcasing achievements from 2024–2025 – a year marked by record-breaking participation, community innovation, and strategic resilience.

Jen Holland, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure, said: “As a charity, every penny spent with us is reinvested into the local community. With our customers’ support and through our Active Communities programmes, we’ve been able to:

  • Support 8,826 people experiencing poverty to be active
  • Assist 604 refugees through our Relocated People Access Programme
  • Help 634 care-experienced children and young people engage in activities
  • Enable 2,466 low-income residents to access services via the £10 Get Active Card”

Malcolm Reid, newly appointed Chair of Edinburgh Leisure, added: “Physical activity is a proven ‘miracle cure’ for health and wellbeing, yet less than half of Edinburgh’s population meets the recommended 2.5 hours of weekly activity.

“Our mission – to inspire individuals, families, and communities to move more – is more urgent than ever. This report shows how we’re making that happen, together.”

“As a charity with a social conscience, our purpose goes beyond profit. It’s about people – supporting healthier lives, creating safe and welcoming spaces, connecting communities, and working towards net zero.

“Our services are designed to be inclusive and accessible, helping everyone achieve their personal best at every stage of life. We invite citizens, partners, and supporters to be part of the journey – whether as participants, volunteers, donors or advocates.”

Get Involved on National Fitness Day

To mark National Fitness Day, Edinburgh Leisure is inviting members to take part in inclusive gym challenges across all venues. There are no winners based on strength or speed – participation alone makes you a winner.

Members are also encouraged to complete “Powered By You” cards, sharing what physical activity helps them achieve in everyday life. These stories will be featured on Edinburgh Leisure’s social media channels.

Throughout September, Edinburgh Leisure is offering a £0 joining fee on all memberships – including Full Fitness and single-activity options (gym, swim, or fitness classes) – making it easier than ever to get started.

Swinney: Eradicating child poverty “a truly national mission”

First Minister leads summit with front-line practitioners

First Minister John Swinney has described his priority of eradicating child poverty in Scotland as “a truly national mission” and our “moral imperative” ahead of an event in Glasgow.

Addressing over 500 delegates from across the public and third sectors, the First Minister also announced that more families across Scotland are set to benefit from investment in innovative projects that join up local services, making it easier for people to access the support they need. 

Through the Fairer Futures Partnerships (FFP), the Scottish Government is collaborating with local councils to test and improve services to better help families living in poverty. These partnerships bring together a range of services, across childcare, education, health and social care, housing, employment and beyond, to provide whole family support.

Building on the success in three pathfinder areas, and eight existing FFPs, the Scottish Government is now expanding these partnerships into five new areas – Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian. 

Speaking ahead of the event, the First Minister said: “When I became First Minister, I said that I will pursue priorities that will make Scotland the best our country can be, and the most important priority that I have pursued in Government has been that of eradicating child poverty.

“The cornerstone of our approach is investment in more dignified and generous social security support, through game-changing measures like the Scottish Child Payment, and ending the UK Government’s two-child limit.

“However, there are still far too many children growing up hungry, or cold, and unable to reach their full potential. In a country as wealthy as Scotland, that is unacceptable.

“It is my firm believe that nothing that is wrong with Scotland can’t be fixed by what is right in Scotland, and whole family support – which is about redesigning the system, both for the people who deliver vital services and for the people who rely on them – is key to that.

“And it is already happening, right now, in areas across Scotland, where local authorities and their partners are already testing new and innovative ways of working together – reshaping and redesigning services in close partnership with local communities. But we need to see this in all areas of Scotland.

“Through the Fairer Futures Partnerships, backed by £4 million investment this year, we are working hand-in-hand with local authorities, communities, and the third sector to deliver real, lasting change. And we are now rolling this out into even more areas of Scotland, allowing us to test and scale up what works, ensuring every child in Scotland can thrive. 

“I want to shine a light on the good work that is happening, encourage knowledge-sharing, hear directly from people about what is working well and how the Government can support them to make whole family support a reality in all areas of the country.

“It is our truly national mission to ensure that no child in Scotland grows up in poverty. It is everybody’s business, and our moral imperative – because there is no greater long-term investment we can make in our future and our success as a nation.”

The five newly-announced Fairer Futures Partnerships (FFPs) build on the work of: the Social Innovation Partnership since 2016; the three original partnership projects in Dundee, Glasgow and Clackmannanshire; the five FFPs in Aberdeen City, East Ayrshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross announced in the 2024-25 Programme for Government; and the further three in Fife, North Lanarkshire and Shetland announced in the 2025-26 Programme for Government.  

Alongside this, Scottish Government is making up to £1.12 million “Adopt and Adapt” funding available to local authorities not currently engaged in Fairer Futures Partnerships. This funding is provided to support councils’ efforts to access and engage with the learning and evaluation programme, and to embed relevant learning in their local work on child poverty.

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