Pilton – Page 2 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Spartans’ Douglas Samuel is Scottish League Two Glen’s Manager of the Month January 2026

5000 DAYS IN CHARGE AT AINSLIE PARK

The Spartans manager Douglas Samuel has been named the Scottish League Two Glen’s Manager of the Month for January, capping a remarkable milestone of 5,000 days in charge of the Edinburgh club.

Samuel’s side delivered an impressive run of results during the month to position themselves firmly in the title race, underlining the consistency and progress achieved under his long-term leadership.

The month kicked off with a solid 2-0 victory over Dumbarton, before a commanding 6-0 win over East Kilbride. The club rounded off January with a 3-3 draw against Elgin City, securing seven points from three matches.

This strong run has seen The Spartans position themselves as promotion contenders, as they continue their push for the top spot.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Glen’s owner the Loch Lomond Group, said: ““Reaching 5,000 days in charge of one club is an extraordinary achievement, and Douglas Samuel has marked it in fitting style with an outstanding month on the pitch.

“The Spartans’ performances in January demonstrated quality, consistency and attacking intent. His leadership and long-term commitment to the club have played a huge role in his success and he is a very worthy recipient of Glen’s Manager of the Month award. Congratulations to Douglas and everyone at Ainslie Park.”

The Spartans FC manager, Douglas Samuel, said: “I’m thrilled that our players’ excellent efforts in January have been recognised.

“This award is recognition for some high-quality performances, and for everyone’s – staff and players – hard work up to this point in the season.”

Congratulations, Douglas!

Relief for community projects as continued funding confirmed

ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES FUND

The Scottih Government has confirmed that Investing in Communities funding will be continued for a further year.

The announcement comes as a huge relief to community projects facing massive cuts to their funding, with services being slashed and some organisations facing closure.

Scottish Greens raised concerns over the uncertainty faced by many of Edinburgh’s third sector projects at a council meeting last month.

A looming catastrophe has been averted with the announcement of one year’s transition funding while a replacement to the Investing in Communities Fund is developed.

Edinburgh Northern and Leith MP Tracy Gilbert took up the case of local community organisations and yesterday received welcome confirmation that fears have been allayed – at least for now.

She said: “Following budget cuts, I raised concerns with the Scottish Government about the future of the Investing in Communities Fund. Ministers have now confirmed a one-year transition extension for existing projects ending in March.

“This will help in the short term, but it falls short of the long-term certainty our community organisations need. I’ll keep pushing for sustained funding and stability for the services people rely on.”

Local MSP Ben Macpherson has also been on the case. He said: “This morning I visited Dr Bell’s Family Centre to discuss a situation that was of real concern.

“Using my decade of experience – including how to get things done for local organisations – I’d written to The Scottish Government about it on Monday and followed this up today, working actively as their/your local constituency MSP … I was therefore very pleased that shortly after the matter had been resolved.

“I know it’s been a worrying time for the centre and am relieved that immediate worries have been lifted. My team and I will keep working with the centre to explore more funding streams, and support the impactful work they do in our communities.”

Edinburgh projects who received Investing in Communities funding (2023- 26) are:

About Youth, Calder Youth Action Project (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £105,822
Community Renewal Trust, Our Neighbourhood: A new hyperlocal Community Wealth Building partnership, City of Edinburgh, £300,732
Dr. Bell’s Family Centre, Start Well, Live Well: Wellbeing Support for Families in Leith, City of Edinburgh, £348,067
Edinburgh Food Social Cic, Changing Craigmillar Food Culture, City of Edinburgh, £325,847
Fresh Start, Fresh Connections, City of Edinburgh, £280,201
North Edinburgh Arts, North Edinburgh Arts Link Up, City of Edinburgh, £331,400
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, Together We Can, City of Edinburgh, £350,000
The Venchie Children And Young People’s Project, Family Support Service, City of Edinburgh, £208,732
Transition Edinburgh South (Scotland) Ltd, Investing in Gracemount, City of Edinburgh, £302,196
Whale, The Arts Agency, Creativity, Place and Enterprise in Wester Hailes (part of Wester Hailes Together), City of Edinburgh, £332,494.

Happy 15th Anniversary, NEN blog!

NEN PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BLOG POST ON THIS DAY IN 2011

The very first NEN blog post was published on this day in 2011. The post read:

Hello, and welcome to the brand new NEN blog.

For those of you not already familiar with the newspaper, we are a local community paper serving the North Edinburgh community. We’ve been here for over thirty years.

This blog, along with our new Facebook page and Twitter stream, represents our first foray into the world of social media. We really want to encourage more participation, more questions and ideas from the North Edinburgh community – both online and offline – and hope that these new tools will help us to do that.

We already have a good website, where you can always find the latest edition of the printed newspaper. The blog won’t be replacing that, but will instead be there to show people the latest news about the area, and also to help us cover the current funding crisis we are facing as an organisation.

Above all, we want to include your input on the blog – be it ideas for stories, comments, pictures and events. So get in touch!

The NEN’s website was sadly deleted when funding ceased but our social media presence continues on both Twitter and Facebook and the blog is still going strong with 10 – 12 posts daily.

2025 was the NEN blog’s busiest ever year with 36,000 visitors. As I write this we’ve published more than 38,000 posts – all of these remain accessible online – and we’re currently on a run of publishing on 2749 consecutive days.

When the NEN office in Crewe Road North closed much of the NEN archive material was lost, but thankfully some of our picture library was salvaged and can now be found at granton:hub (Madelvic House), where the volunteer archive team has also collated all remaining hard copies of the North Edinburgh News newspaper.

Hopefully, between the physical archive and the NEN blog, you can find all you need to know about our community’s rich history – and we’re adding to that history every day!

PYCP this Saturday: : Teen Boutique Pop-Up, Craft Sale and Raffle

Saturday 13th December

10.30 am to 12.30 pm

PYCP CRAFT SALE AND PRIZE RAFFLE

Please share with family and friends, its not just for families with children attending PYCP. Anyone can come along!

From Positive Destinations to Rising Star: How Josh Ward found his future at Edinburgh Leisure

Edinburgh Leisure is celebrating one of its own as Josh Ward, Swim Teacher at its iconic Leith Victoria Swim Centre, scooped the Rising Star Award at the recent Scottish Leisure Network Group Awards.

The Scottish Leisure Network Group (SLNG) is a not-for-profit organisation for leisure and sport providers in Scotland. Founded in 2003, its purpose is to help members, such as local authority leisure trusts and university sports departments, share best practices, provide industry guidance, and develop benchmarking processes.

Josh’s story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of opportunity. Starting out on Edinburgh Leisure’s Positive Destinations programme – an employability initiative supporting young people from deprived areas – Josh faced significant challenges. Surrounded by negative influences and lacking financial support, his future could have taken a very different path.

Instead, Josh embraced the programme, earned his lifeguard qualification, and began his career as a Leisure Attendant.

Recognising the need to create a positive environment for himself, Josh made the brave decision to transfer to a venue further afield, away from peer pressure. That move marked a turning point.

With encouragement from his manager, Josh trained as a Swim Teacher, gaining his Scottish Swimming Teaching Qualification. Two years on, he’s not only thriving but inspiring others.

“Josh is a fantastic role model for our team and for the young people who come through our programmes,” said Louise Bathgate, Manager at Leith Victoria, who nominated him for the award.

“His journey shows what’s possible when someone is given the right support and opportunities. He’s passionate, committed, and always goes the extra mile for his swimmers and colleagues.

“Josh’s approach to swim teaching reflects the values of our organisation, creating an inclusive, supportive, and high-quality experiences for all his participants. He is known for building strong relationships with children and adapting his teaching style to meet individual needs.

“He has played a key role in supporting both participants and less experienced staff, particularly through our Care-Experienced and Active Communities programmes. His patience and ability to connect with others make him a trusted and respected member within his team.”

One customer commented said “Josh is doing a great job running the Skills & Development and Master’s swim classes. He’s always friendly, encouraging, and brings great sets for us to swim. His feedback on technique has significantly improved my swim times.”

Josh’s success comes as sportscotland celebrates Role Models in Sport this December, highlighting individuals who inspire others to get active and achieve their potential. Josh embodies that spirit – from overcoming personal challenges to becoming a trusted and respected Swim Teacher who makes a real difference in his community, said Jack Martin, Coaching Workforce Manager at Edinburgh Leisure.

Edinburgh Leisure offers a range of career pathways, from entry-level roles to specialist coaching and teaching positions. Josh’s story is a powerful reminder that a career in leisure isn’t just a job – it can be life-changing.

Find out more about careers with Edinburgh Leisure at:

www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/work-for-us