The award-winning project, Ageing Well, run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian, will be starting two new activities in July, to support people to become, and remain active in later life.
Starting on Thursday, 8th July, there will be a regular Walk around Saughton Walled Garden with a volunteer walk leader.
The walk is suitable for people who have not walked much before, and are looking to be more active, or are returning from injury or illness. The walk will take up to 30 minutes on flat ground or gentle slopes with firm surfaces and generally no steps.
Register your interest with active@edinburghleisure.co.uk. Participants should meet at the Garden Bistro, at 10.50am for an 11am start. A contribution of £1 is welcomed towards the activity.
There will also be an 11 weeks’ Cycle Skills Course, starting on Monday, 12th July. This will meet at Saughton Sports Centre initially, with a further 4 weeks on the cycle paths leaving from Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and a further 4 weeks leaving from Meggetland. Good quality bikes and helmets are supplied to trainees so there is no need to own your own.
This course is suitable for those who wish to take up cycling again after a lengthy absence but lack confidence. The course will give participants an opportunity to improve confidence on a bike; increase bike-handling skills; put in to practice the skills they are learning; and the introduction to cycle paths, on the last two weeks of the course.
The course is very relaxed, sociable, and fun and is based on the Cycling Scotland Bikeability material adapted for adults. A contribution of £2 per week is asked from trainees to help towards the running costs of the programme.
Since their activities reopened after COVID-19 restrictions lifted again at the beginning of April, they have been supporting 120 older adults to be active again. The emphasis is on meeting new people and making physical activity accessible and enjoyable. All activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.
For further information, to register your interest and/or to book a slot, contact the Active Communities team on active@edinburghleisure.co.uk
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, has expressed his delight as the City of Edinburgh Council is set to receive £846,000 from the Scottish Government to encourage children to play and socialise as part of the recovery from the pandemic.
Councils across Scotland will receive a share of £15m to support summer activities that are already in place in certain areas.
The support will specifically target those aged up to 25 from low income households who may otherwise struggle to access such experiences during the holidays.
£5m will also be distributed among prominent Scottish children’s charities such as Barnardo’s and Who Cares Scotland.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “I am absolutely delighted at this investment in Edinburgh’s children and young people, who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic as they have not been able to meet up with friends or play the sports they love.
“Coming out of the pandemic young people have told us that their mental health will be a priority and the SNP Scottish Government has listened to them and is investing in summer activities.
“This will have a positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of our young people, which will be extremely important when coming out of lockdown and into recovery.”
This year’s hybrid Festival consists of a digital programme (available to watch 25 May-6 June) and a mostly outdoor programme presented over the Festival’s two weekends (29-30 May and 5-6 June).
The Digital Programme includes a mixture of streamed performances which you can watch at any time during the Festival and innovative digital interactions presented live over Zoom (book now).
Family Encounters programme presents FREE innovative performances and activities mostly outdoor.
Events will take place in the stunning Royal Botanic Garden (book now), as well as in site-specific venues (book now).
We have received funding from the management committee of Royston Wardieburn community centre to offer some one to one activities to local folk in North West Edinburgh, who might be struggling a bit as we ease out of lockdown.
The aim is to support people engage/re-engage with the many social and learning opportunities on offer in North Edinburgh.
As you know, it’s not going to be easy for many people to take the first step – it never is. However, the impact of lockdown is likely to have magnified people’s concerns and anxieties about getting involved in something new.
Many people may be feeling a bit anxious about what life is going to look like in the coming months and the challenges that lie ahead. Some people may struggle physically due to the loss of mobility during last year and might need a bit of support to get out and about safely again.
One to One Activities
We’ve put together a programme of one to one activities which we hope will address these issues and we will adapt the programme to reflect people’s interests. The programme includes supported local walks, visits to places of interests such as community gardens and galleries and museums.
We are also planning to offer individuals the opportunity to work on their digital, literacy or language skills in a local café once the restrictions are lifted. For some people just meeting up with someone in a public space for a coffee and a chat will be sufficient.
Working together
We would be really grateful for your help and support with this project.
1. Can you send us information about any activities you are planning?
2. Can you could let us know if you have a space that we might be able to use for meet ups (inside and outside)?
We would also be grateful if you could help to promote the project by displaying our leaflets (which will be dropped off next week) in a public space and if you could pass on the information to anyone you know who you think might benefit from the project.
We are aiming to work with people who have been particularly badly affected by lockdown, particularly those who might have been shielding due to health conditions but also people from the BAME community and people who might be struggling with their mental health or finding it difficult to get out due to mobility issues.
If you know someone who might be interested, please let us know how best to get in touch with them.
Please get in touch if you want to know more about the Time for Change Project or if you would like to become involved in some way.
As the nights draw-in and the lights begin to twinkle, join us online for a day full of free fun and creative activities for all the family, with readings, DrawAlongs, music and more!
Enjoy stories from Maggie O’Farrell, Alan Bissett and Nadine Aisha Jassat, put your pens to work with illustrator Eilidh Muldoon, hear music from Tinderbox Collective and experience tales written by our Citizen groups in North Edinburgh, Musselburgh and beyond!
Free and online on Saturday 12 December. Find out more:
Despite the current Scottish Government restrictions affecting the sport & leisure industry, Edinburgh Leisure is continuing to reopen their venues and services and encouraging as many people of various ages and stages to get active.
June Peebles, CEO at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Over the past few weeks and months, there’s been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes to bring Edinburgh Leisure’s 14 venues that are currently open and services back to life.
“This includes their six golf courses, gyms, tennis courts, sports halls and pitches, Europe’s largest climbing arena at Ratho, five Victorian pools and of course, the very popular Royal Commonwealth Pool.
“And despite all the changes we have had to deal with and continue to deal with –whether that be the changes to facility guidance or changes to what activities we can and cannot open (our group fitness classes and adult group activities are not able to take place under the current Level 3 restrictions), we have continued to progress with our re-opening plans.
“Feedback has been so positive with Edinburgh Leisure being one of the businesses singled out for making customers feel safest since reopening with all the measures we have put in place, and an ‘overall crowd-pleaser’.”
Since June, customers have been dusting off their clubs and heading to Edinburgh Leisure’s golf courses. Customer visits are up 43% on last year and continue to perform exceptionally well, despite the autumn weather and ever reducing day light and playing hours.
The sale of Edinburgh Leisure’s Winter Golf membership, which costs from £22.50 per month with unlimited play at six of their golf courses across the city until 31 March 2021, is contributing to the impressive sales, up four times compared to that in 2019.
Other services that have reopened include the sporting facilities in seven of the Council’s high schools, which Edinburgh Leisure manage on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, and Clip ‘n Climb family sessions at the EICA, albeit on a reduced basis.
Their popular coaching programme for children’s swim and dive lessons, tennis, gymnastics and climbing, restarted on 16 November. The swim coaching programme at Queensferry High School restarts on Monday, 30th November.
Seven thousand children and young people have returned to coaching, which although is a reduction on what was available pre-lockdown, complies with Scottish Government and sportscotland guidelines to keep people safe.
Their popular NRG Zone – a coached gym session for children from S1 to 15 years – is now being offered. These sessions introduce the safe and effective use of the gym space and equipment and allows the young person to get accredited and then able to use the gym on the own, at time out with NRG Zone classes, where there are gym instructors present. NRG is running across nine of their venues from Friday to Sundays – with limited places offered at specified gym times.
Gym instructor bookings are available once more and need to be booked in advance. Initially, it will be ‘Introduction for New Users and ‘Gym Update Reviews, which are offered with both sessions starting with a 15 minute – one to one -consultation, where goals will be discussed, exercise advice given and a demonstration of the safe use of equipment. The remainder of the gym session will allow the customer to train in the gym with staff checking on progress.
Edinburgh Leisure has also introduced Family Swim Sessions into their pool timetables, where families of up to five people can swim in a pre-booked pool ‘pod’, with prices starting from £9.60 per family group.
Due to the Covid restrictions, groups must adhere to the existing adult:child ratio as well as the COVID-19 restrictions, and need to arrive swim ready. In some of the venues, deep-end pods are also available for families with confident swimmers.
A number of Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities projects have also restarted. Active Communities helps improve the lives of people affected by health conditions, poverty, inequalities, and disabilities.
Programmes which have restarted include: one to one gym sessions for participants on their Healthy Active Minds project; their #YouCan project, which supports care-experienced young people to get active, is running virtual one to ones, outdoor and group outreach programmes; Active Mums, which supports low income families, has restarted as an outdoor group with the mums enjoying socially distanced workouts in Pilrig Park, with their children being cared for in the creche at Dr Bells Family Centre; and Get Moving Adults Weight Management Education Classes.
In addition, Ageing Well, which encourages older people to get active and stay active, has restarted three of their popular walks.
Ryan Dignan, Health Development Officer, remarked: “The walkers have said how relieved they were that the group was back again as they had missed it so much.”
June Peebles concluded: “Edinburgh Leisure remains as committed as ever to supporting Edinburgh citizens to be active and healthy. We’ve had to introduce a number of changes to comply with all the COVID-19 safety guidance that’s out there.
“Things are somewhat different, with smaller numbers taking part in activities at any one time, the mandatory wearing of face coverings when moving around our venues, enhanced cleaning and physical distancing measures but it’s all in place to ensure our customers are safe when visiting our venues.
“The feedback has been really positive. Never has the importance of taking care of your physical and mental health been so important – please remember we’re here to help and support you to be active.”
Guy Fawkes Night will be different this year, but it can still be fun. And what better opportunity to teach your children about the origins of the celebration? Former primary school teacher Catherine Lynch of education resource experts Plan Bee tells you how…
It is likely that most larger bonfire night events won’t be able to go ahead this year.The rule against social gatherings of more than six and added restrictions in parts of the UK mean that garden fireworks parties are also set to be smaller. A family-only event may be low key, but if you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space you can still have a great evening.
A couple of packets of sparklers, delicious jacket potatoes and toasted marshmallows to eat, will lift the spirits of youngsters and adults alike.
And this year is a great opportunity to make sure that your children know what this annual celebration is all about.
When and why
Bonfire Night takes place on 5th November. On this night in 1605, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators attempted—and failed—to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
Who?
Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido Fawkes, lived in an era when Britain was riven by terrible religious intolerance and violence between Protestants and Catholics.
The Gunpowder Plot
It was planned that Fawkes would light the fuse, get across the Thames and then escape to Europe. However, news of the plot was leaked. On 5 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered underneath the Houses of Parliament guarding the gunpowder. He was arrested and tortured.
On 27 January, Fawkes and eight of the plotters stood trial. The jury found them all guilty and the men were killed on 31 January 1606.
For years, the failed Gunpowder Plot was marked by bonfires, special sermons and public events like the ringing of church bells. Over time, Bonfire Night has become the more commercial celebration we have today that includes firework displays, funfairs and hot food like jacket potatoes.
Five fun Bonfire Night facts:
1. Guy Fawkes was born on 13th April 1570. He died on 31st January 1606.
2. Guy Fawkes was Catholic. He didn’t think a Protestant monarch should rule Britain..
3. There were 13 members of the Gunpowder Plot: Robert Catesby, Thomas Wintour, Robert Wintour, John Wright, Christopher Wright, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everad Digby and Francis Tresham.
4. Fawkes was found with 36 barrels of gunpowder. There was enough gunpowder to reduce the Houses of Parliament to rubble.
5. An Act of Parliament named 5 November as a day of thanksgiving for the “joyful day of deliverance”. This act was in force until 1859.
Click here for FREE Bonfire Night resources for primary school-aged children.
With different parts of the country under different lockdown rules, the idea of celebrating Halloween may seem an impossibility. But Catherine Lynch of education experts PlanBee says you can keep your children spooked out – and stay within the law.
Halloween 2020 is going to be a bit different to previous years. Groups of children putting their hands into several bowls of communal sweets feels like something from another life. But we can incorporate dressing up, community spirit, an evening walk and trick or treating while observing social distancing. Here’s how…
Many communities are organising a Halloween trail for their young trick-or-treaters. Instead of knocking door to door, why not take your children on a trail, too? If you would like to take part in a Halloween trail, or organise one yourself, you could put this spooky picture from PlanBee in your window.
Parents can scan the QR code in the picture to receive a free Halloween activity pack with colouring sheets, puzzles and activities.
Take your children on walks around your local area and see how many Halloween pictures you can spot. You could give your child the chance to pick a treat from your own selection each time they spot a picture on the Halloween treasure hunt.
And while you’re at it, this short guide to the history of Halloween will ensure you can answer any questions your youngsters might have about the origins of this popular autumn celebration.
It all started with Samhain, an ancient Celtic pagan religious festival that marks the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The celebrations included lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts. This festival is thought to date back to Neolithic times, pre 2500 BC.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III decided 1st November should be a time to honour all saints. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows’ Eve, and later Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve, is a Christian religious observance that includes going to church and lighting candles on the graves of the dead. Traditionally, Christians didn’t eat meat on this day and Potato Pancakes were a popular choice of food.
Over time, Halloween became the more commercial and secular celebration we have today that includes trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, wearing costumes and eating treats.
Watch out for World Food Day on Friday (October 16). The date commemorates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation by the United Nations in 1945. This year’s theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together.
This is a great opportunity to do some fun activities at home with your children to give them a better understanding of how a sustainable supply of food relates to their own lives and the local area as well as those in far-away places.
And the event is of particular significance this year because it takes place at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic threatens food security in many parts of the world.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resource experts PlanBee reports:
Four great ways to celebrate World Food Day 2020
1. Discover fascinating food facts
World Food Day Facts
Eight hundred million people around the world suffer from hunger.
In parts of the world where hunger is a big issue, life expectancy is shorter, infant mortality is higher, and productivity is lower.
Around the same number of people around the world suffer from obesity due to unhealthy diets.
Obesity kills more people than hunger.
Inefficient, unsustainable food systems harm ecosystems and contribute to global warming. Changing the way we produce food is key to tackling climate change.
As the climate changes, we will have to change the way we produce food: yields will decrease, and new food sources will have to be found.
In developed countries, tackling obesity would save hundreds of billions of pounds in healthcare costs.
In countries where hunger is an issue, eliminating hunger would dramatically increase productivity and national wealth.
2. Make it meaningful.
Food security and food poverty are significant issues in the UK too. It’s a good time to talk about food banks, free school meals and the importance of eating nourishing food for health, happiness and even for effective learning.
What is ‘food security’? Food security means being having access to adequate supplies of food to live healthily. To have food security:
People must have enough money to buy food
Food must be affordably-priced
There must be reliable supply chains for food
There must be enough reserves of food, or reliable enough supply chains for a variety of foods, to ensure that access to food is not interrupted
The food available must be nutritious, so those who consume it can lead active, healthy lives
What are ‘sustainable food systems’? Effective, sustainable food systems affordably provide an adequate amount of food to meet demand while also supporting the ecosystems they rely on for the production of food.
The greenhouses will be heated by warm water pumped from nearby water treatment plants, producing far lower carbon emissions than traditional growing methods. It also reduces food miles and establishes a more reliable supply of food in the local area. Can you think of an example of a sustainable food system in your own area?
3. Link it to your local community
Church of England schools have a long-standing tradition of celebrating harvest festival by collecting store cupboard food items for the elderly and vulnerable in their community. This year, Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is celebrated 2nd-9th October.
If there’s not much happening locally, why not arrange to do something to help those less well-off in your community? Find out where your nearest food bank is. Many will list the items they are most in need of each week on their website.
4. Make healthy, nutritious food together
Talk ‘around’ the recipe you choose to follow; for example, you might try to find out about the food journey of one or more of the ingredients.
You can find out more about what’s happening during World Food Day 2020 by following the hashtags #WorldFoodDay and #FoodHeroes on social media.
For more activity ideas and resources for celebrating World Food Day, check out PlanBee’s World Food Day collection.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan is a senior member of the team at PlanBee, the education resources and lesson planning experts
Lighten up those dark winter evenings with floodlit tennis
As the light starts to fade and summer draws to a close, playing tennis with floodlights at the Meadows and the all-weather outdoor courts at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, can now be booked on the Edinburgh Leisure app and website.
Kirsty Stobie, Manager at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Tennis has proved to be really popular since Edinburgh Leisure’s courts opened up at the beginning of June, when the restrictions were lifted after lockdown. It’s been great seeing people of all ages getting active back on our courts and taking advantage of free tennis.
“Tennis at the Meadows is unmanned and until now, customers have been able to just rock up and play. However, with the nights drawing in earlier, customers wishing to play with floodlights, can pay to have the lights turned on to coincide with their session. These sessions can be booked via the Edinburgh Leisure website or app.”
Court prices start from £5 – £10 at the Meadows and £6.60 – £13 at Craiglockhart. Customers are asked to adhere to current social distancing guidelines and to bring their own equipment.
