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Edinburgh Leisure’s five-pool charity challenge supports local people facing barriers to being active

Sixty-one Edinburgh swimmers completed Edinburgh Leisure’s aquathlon-style Victorian Pool Crawl on Easter Monday, 6^th April, walking 16km and swimming 5km across Edinburgh Leisure’s five historic Victorian pools, raising more than £40,000 for the Active Communities programme.

The challenge, sponsored by Landmarc Support Services, began at Dalry Swim Centre (est. 1895) before continuing through Warrender Swim Centre (est. 1887), Glenogle Swim Centre (est. 1899), and Leith Victoria Swim Centre (est. 1900), finishing at Portobello Swim Centre (est. 1901).

Edinburgh Leisure also hosted its Great Lengths exhibition, highlighting the history of the city’s Victorian pools and bathhouses.

The Victorian Pool Crawl was conceived in 2025 by a regular swimmer from Leith Victoria Swim Centre as a community fundraising challenge. After the inaugural event, the challenge became an official Edinburgh Leisure fundraiser, growing from 13 participants in 2025 to 61 this year.

Among the original 13-strong team was Marek Bernat, aged 49, who learned to swim at Dalry Swim Centre in 2019. Despite having found completing the final lane tough last year, it was also extremely rewarding. So much so that Marek and two of the original group returned this year with a new team of ‘Leith Victorians’ who collectively raised over £5,500.

A year ago, Landmarc employee Tamsin Gee wouldn’t have imagined taking on a half-marathon-distance challenge. By her own admission, she was “allergic to exercise”.

One year on, she celebrated completing this year’s event alongside colleagues and friends at Portobello Swim Centre—an achievement she described as huge. “It was a fantastic day, seamlessly organised and such fun to take part in,” she said.

Kevin Kneeshaw, Landmarc’s Regional Operations Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland said, “At Landmarc, we are passionate about supporting initiatives that make a real difference locally.

“The Victorian Pool Crawl not only celebrates Edinburgh’s heritage but also helps break down barriers to being active. It has been fantastic to be part of such a positive and impactful event.”

The event’s top fundraiser Frederick Phillips sees first-hand the impact this fundraising has for local people. He volunteers with Edinburgh Leisure’s Ageing Well project as a ‘Buddy Swimmer’, supporting older people to enjoy swimming which Frederick says, “transforms lives by supporting physical health, reducing isolation and opening up opportunities that simply wouldn’t exist otherwise.”

Adam Shaffer, Events & Individual Giving Fundraiser at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “This was a great event to organise, drawing on colleagues’ expertise and enthusiasm for getting people active.

“It was brilliant to see so many people turning out to cheer on the swimmers and support our charitable mission.”

Rachael McCrea, Head of Fundraising at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Every pound raised helps remove financial, health and disability barriers that stop people getting active.

“We’re so grateful to our incredible participants whose efforts have raised over £40,000, and over the course of the day demonstrated how taking part in physical activity improves health, wellbeing and builds communities.”

All funds raised support Active Communities, Edinburgh Leisure’s programme tackling inequalities and inactivity. Active Communities supports around 14,700 people a year, including people affected by health conditions, disability, poverty and other barriers to physical activity.

Edinburgh Leisure is a charity dedicated to helping people lead more active, healthy lives. With 75 sport, leisure and school venues across the city, it creates opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.

Donations to support the Victorian Pool Crawlers can still be made via JustGiving: 

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/vpc26

Aldi is encouraging shoppers in Edinburgh to donate pet food at its in-store community donation points this April to mark National Pet Month, as more families feel the impact of rising costs when caring for pets.

With 86% of pet owners saying the cost of owning a pet has increased, local charities continue to see demand for support, including help with everyday essentials such as pet food.

The supermarket is calling on shoppers across Edinburgh to support their local communities by donating essential items in stores. Donations will be distributed to local charities and community groups through the supermarket’s long-standing partnership with Neighbourly.

Since partnering with Neighbourly in 2019, Aldi has donated the equivalent of more than 50 million meals to good causes across the UK, helping ensure surplus food reaches those who need it most while reducing food waste.

Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “Pets are part of the family, but the cost-of-living conversation rarely acknowledges them, when in reality, increasing costs are putting extra pressure on the whole household budget, including everyday essentials – like pet food.

“By making it simple for customers to donate in-store, via our existing partnership with Neighbourly, we hope to support local communities and help ensure families can continue to care for their much-loved pets.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, said: “Demand for support remains high for all daily household essentials.

“Aldi’s continued commitment – alongside the generosity of its customers – plays a vital role in supporting local charities and the communities they serve.”

Shoppers can donate pet food and everyday essentials at Aldi’s in-store community donation points, where items are distributed to local charities and community groups through its partnership with Neighbourly. Donation points are available in stores nationwide throughout the year, making it easy for customers to support their local communities whenever they shop.

Supporting communities is a core part of Aldi’s approach, with a range of initiatives in place to help ensure surplus food reaches those who need it most.

Following a successful pilot across three Regional Distribution Centres, the supermarket will provide a further 1.2 million meals to families in need this year through its partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing, as the initiative rolls out nationwide.

Aldi also works with Company Shop Group to redistribute surplus stock from its Regional Distribution Centres, helping to ensure that products which cannot be sold in stores are still put to good use.

ACCESS to professional ear care health in Edinburgh has received a significant boost following the success of five colleagues completing rigorous clinical training.

The team at Specsavers Morningside and Cameron Toll stores are celebrating as five colleagues, Gillian Hudson, Isla Dowell, Jamie Raes, Samuel Jeffries and Larissa Barclay have gained their Audiology Clinical Assistant (ACS) qualification.

This milestone transforms the customer’s experience, allowing the newly qualified assistants to perform clinical tasks such as otoscopy and professional triage on the spot. 

The achievement highlights Specsavers’ commitment to ‘growing its own’ talent, taking staff members from diverse professional backgrounds and providing a career ladder in healthcare.

Jonathan Bell, audiology director at Specsavers Cameron Toll, says: ‘Having multiple ACS-qualified staff members is a total gamechanger for our stores. We now have specialist cover seven days a week at Cameron Toll and six days at our Morningside store.

“It empowers my team, reduces appointment bottlenecks, and ensures our senior audiologists can dedicate their time to customers with the most complex hearing needs. It proves that we don’t just provide hearing devices; we provide expert clinical care.’

For the local community, the qualification means immediate peace of mind. Patients who may have previously faced long waits for GP appointments can now walk into the stores for an instant hearing check. The ACS team can identify wax blockages or hearing concerns immediately, ensuring customers are placed on the correct clinical pathway from their very first interaction.

The newly qualified team adds: ‘Achieving this qualification is a proud moment for us. It represents more than a certificate; it’s a shows that Specsavers is invested in our long-term progression.

“Previously, we had to rely on busy audiologists to check for abnormalities, which often meant the customer had to wait. Now, we can look in their ears on the spot and provide personal and immediate care. It’s an exciting first step toward more advanced clinical roles.’

The transition from support roles to clinical professionals was supported by mentorship from the stores’ senior audiologists. Despite the challenge of balancing formal study with daily roles, the team notes that the discipline has prepared them for the high level of responsibility required in modern healthcare.

To book a hearing assessment, you can visit Jonathan and his team at:

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/camerontoll or call 0131 672 9218, or at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside or call 0131 672 9218.