Children can once again get active at Edinburgh Leisure’s Clambers soft play at the Royal Commonwealth Pool when it reopens tomorrow (Thursday 24th February) after its five-week closure for a major refurbishment.
Clambers has a new frame for babies, toddlers, and juniors, with an aquatic theme and is designed so parents can supervise easily, and children can play freely, all within a securely gated area.
There are slides, an upper storey football pitch and many more exciting features to explore. Its party room has also been rebranded; its Café Refresh has been upgraded with new tables and chairs; its café servery extended and the reception desk has been replaced.
When Clambers reopens there will no longer be the requirement to pre-book sessions – parents, carers and guardians can just rock up and there are now also 90-minute sessions to enjoy, in addition to the 60-minute sessions.
Edinburgh Leisure’s two other soft plays – Scrambles at EICA: Ratho and Tumbles at Portobello, will also be removing the need to pre-book sessions, which will come into play from Tuesday, 1st March. In addition, 90-minute sessions will also be added.
Lynne Bauba, Manager at Royal Commonwealth Pool said: “It seems that we are finally moving towards some sort of normality, and we are delighted to be reintroducing our 90-minute sessions, in addition to our 60-minute sessions – so, you can now enjoy our soft plays for longer.
“It is worth noting though that if you’re visiting at peak times, you may only be able to enjoy our soft play for a shorter 60-minute session rather than 90, or you may have to wait a little until space becomes available. It will be worth the wait though as the new look Clambers is looking fabulous. We can’t wait to welcome you back.”
Edinburgh Leisure is on the search for new volunteers to step this way to train as walk leaders for their award-winning Active Communities programme, Ageing Well.
A Walk Leader training course will take place on Friday, 18th February from 10.00am – 1.30pm. The training is laid back and friendly and there are no exam or tests.
The Ageing Well Project is run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian and delivers a range of city-wide activities which support people to become, and remain, active in later life. The emphasis is on meeting new people and making physical activity accessible and enjoyable.
Ryan Dignan, Health Development Officer (Older Adults) at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “Our programme relies on the generous support of volunteers – older adults who give up 1 or 2 hours a week to help and support other older adults to get or stay active.
“No previous experience is necessary – just enthusiasm, the ability to get on well with people from differing backgrounds and ages and a love of walking.
“It’s not just Ageing Well who benefit from the volunteers’ gift of time, our volunteers say that they develop deeper connections within their communities, feel better physically, mentally and emotionally; and are better able to manage health conditions such as stress.
“On completion of their training, they will lead or support one of the many weekly walking groups that take place across the city.
In 2018 the Ageing Well programme was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), which is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups and is the equivalent of an MBE. The award reflects the tremendous contribution of Edinburgh Leisure’s Ageing Well volunteers and the positive difference they make to the lives of participants.
Ageing Well activities have been developed to cater for a wide range of tastes and abilities and all activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.
Jerry Gregson, one of Ageing Well’s valued volunteers who gives up 2-3 hours of his time each week, and who has been involved with the programme for 15 years explains: “Being retired, I love having the regular social contact that being a walk-leader brings, as well as the satisfaction of knowing I am doing something that is useful to others in our age-group.
“It’s also an excuse to explore the many highways and byways across the city. We take walkers to places they didn’t know about and wouldn’t go themselves, certainly not alone. Even after 15 years, I get a kick from someone saying, ‘I’ve never been this way before’.”
Anyone interested in volunteering as a walk leader and to join the training course on 18th February should email: ryandignan@edinburghleisure.co.uk
Edinburgh Leisure has joined forces with award winning Scottish community interest company and social enterprise, Hey Girls to provide free period products to customers.
A range of sustainable products including tampons (both digital and applicator types) and period pads are now available across all Edinburgh Leisure sites. The period products are in changing and toilet areas, as appropriate, for customers to help themselves as required.
Wendy Avinou, Leisure Manager and lead for this project said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Hey Girls whose mission is to eradicate period poverty in the UK by providing quality period products in our venues to everyone who needs them.
“Edinburgh Leisure is a charity on a mission to help people lead healthier, happier, more active lives and anything we can do to eradicate people’s barriers to this, including period poverty, we are only too delighted to get involved with. Free period products can encourage participation in sport and support good health.
“Our Active Communities programme harnesses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity. Each year we support around 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to get active – empowering them to improve and protect their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.”
According to the Joseph Rountree Foundation UK Poverty Report 2020/21, 14.5 million people in the UK are caught up in poverty, equating to more than one in five people. The fact that period poverty still affects people in the UK in 2021 shocks many people.
Plan International UK research found that period poverty affects 1 in 10 people across the UK. In Scotland, the number is thought to be closer to 1 in 4.
More research is needed to understand exactly what is happening, but period poverty is a real problem for many people.
Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive. Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all.
Campaigns to address period poverty have gained momentum, and UK governments are now stepping in to help solve the problem. Last year Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free for all.
The City of Edinburgh Council have been responsible for implementing the legislation within the capital on behalf of the Scottish Government and have enabled the partnership with Edinburgh Leisure.
Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re delighted that Edinburgh Leisure is one of the first of our partners to roll out free period products for all as this should be a basic right.
“We’re committed to achieving this goal as we showed last year when they were made available in community centres, libraries, schools and early years centres and we’re hoping to make them more widely available in a range of venues in 2022.
“We would urge everyone to look out for, and take part in, our public consultation for the Scottish Parliament bill on the roll out of the free period products next year.”
https://youtu.be/YDf1rnSK-dQ
Celia Hodson, CEO & Founder of Hey Girls, added: “Increasing access to period products is really important. Free products can improve concentration, encourage participation in sport and support good health.
“They prevent people having to make dehumanising choices – to wear the wrong product, or a worse quality product or to wear a product for longer than is hygienic or safe.
“At Hey Girls we believe that access to quality period products is a right, not a privilege. Being able to access free period products at the Edinburgh Leisure sites will allow people to conveniently pick up products they need with no questions asked. What’s more, all our period products are sustainable and chemical free; being made with materials including sustainable bamboo and organic cotton, for a planet and body-friendly period.”
Hey Girls was initially established in 2018 by Celia Hodson and her two daughters Kate and Bec as a kitchen table start up after experiencing period poverty themselves. The company has donated over 19 million products to people in the UK facing period poverty through its ‘buy one, donate one’ pledge.
With 21 employees, they’ve grown into a UK wide operation with dispatch teams in Musselburgh in East Lothian, Diss in Norfolk and Sydney in Australia. They are proud to be multi award winning and have celebrity supporters including Michael Sheen and Caitlin Moran.
Throughout the COVID-19 response, renewal and recovery physical activity has and continues to be recognised as fundamental to physical and mental health and wellbeing. So why not boost your immunity, manage stress, and put yourself first for a change by gifting yourself 12 days of fitness?
Available to buy online only from 1st – 31st December, Edinburgh Leisure, a charity dedicated to creating opportunities for everyone to lead more active and healthy lives, has launched its seasonal promotion, 12 days of fitness, with the aim of encouraging people to stay active in December.
The 12 days of fitness promotion offers 12 consecutive days of membership, from the moment you buy, for only £12 and give access to Edinburgh Leisure’s climb and fitness facilities (with the exception of the Turkish Baths at Portobello), subject to COVID-19 restrictions.
And if you get the fitness bug, you’re not restricted to one pass per person either – if you wish to buy a second pass after your first pass expires, it’ll mean you’re doubly on the way to reaching those fitness goals ahead of New Year.
Edinburgh Leisure’s facilities are second to none and offer choice and great value, across various city locations.
Their gyms feature some of the latest fitness equipment and while things are a little different from before with physical distancing measures in place, and the need to book your gym, swim and climb sessions in advance, you will be assured a warm welcome, with helpful staff ready to help you reach your fitness goals.
They also have numerous swimming pools across the city, from historic baths to the famous Olympic-sized Royal Commonwealth Pool and Europe’s largest climbing arena at Ratho.
For further information about Edinburgh Leisure venues and services and the 12 Days of Fitness Promotion visit:
A new climbing slab wall, suitable for novices and intermediate climbers has been unveiled at Europe’s largest indoor climbing wall, the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho.
Fifteen new lines, suitable for novices and intermediate climbers, will increase the offering to these groups by 50%. These new lines will allow up to 45 more colour coded, graded climbs to be set within the arena. A third of the lines, five in total, have the addition of auto belays, meaning a climber doesn’t require a partner to ‘belay’.
Nic Crawshaw, Climbing Operations Manager at EICA: Ratho explained: “Designed as a venue for national and international competitions and as a national centre for climbing, our fantastic facility at the EICA: Ratho caters particularly well for advanced and elite climbers.
“The installation of these new lines will enhance and make the climbing experience more accessible for new and the less experienced climber, and especially children and young people, disability climbing groups, and people involved in our Active Communities programme.
“With increased wall space suitable for these groups, we hope that it’ll increase the number of people getting involved in climbing for the first time. However, given the design of the new wall, it will also provide a few technical challenges for the more advanced climber too. It’s all about bringing climbing to more people.”
The project was funded by Edinburgh Leisure, who manage the facility at EICA: Ratho, and match funded by sportscotland, with an endorsement from Mountaineering Scotland. King Kong Climbing Walls from Cumbria built the walls after being successful in a tendering process.
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “We work closely with partners across the country including Edinburgh Leisure to create the right facilities that will provide more opportunities for people to get active in their local communities.
“So, it’s great to see this new climbing wall at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, which will further enhance the already fantastic facilities that are available at Ratho and specifically create opportunities to help less experienced climbers develop their skills.
“Our investment in facilities such as this is made possible thanks to the National Lottery players who raise £30million each week for good causes. Without that level of support, developing community facilities like the new climbing wall would not be possible.”
Stuart Younie, CEO, Mountaineering Scotland said: “Following the debut of climbing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Ratho provides a unique and important facility for the sport both at a national and international level.
“It provides both a gateway for new participants and also an important training venue for those who are working towards competing at the highest levels in the sport. The new slab wall will open opportunities for more people to enjoy the benefits of participating in climbing as part of a clear participation pathway giving them the opportunity to progress and develop their skills.
“By supporting this project Mountaineering Scotland and the ClimbScotland programme also hope it will underpin further investment and support for the development of climbing at all levels to ensure the EICA: Ratho is a truly world class facility.”
Edinburgh Leisure is a charity on a mission to help keep people active and well always. They run over 50 sport, leisure and school venues and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.
Their Active Communities Programme harnesses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity. Each year they support around 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to get active – empowering them to improve and protect their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Check out Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft play membership
Inspire kids to get the active habit. With Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft-play membership, children get to sample the world of sport and fitness from an early age. For those signing up to become a new member in November, December is completely free.*
From only £16.70** per month, the membership offers incredible value, fantastic flexibility and of course, will keep little ones entertained and burning off energy as they explore the amazing soft plays.
Membership is available to buy in venue or online. Existing members referring friends will receive £15 cash back for each new soft play member they refer who joins. This should be done via the online form.
We have Tumbles at Portobello and Scrambles at EICA: Ratho, while Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool is currently closed for maintenance and will be shutting temporarily for a refurbishment in January.
All visits must be booked in advance online or via the Edinburgh Leisure app.
Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old and there are frames for babies, toddlers and juniors. Each venue has a café where healthy snacks and tasty treats can be enjoyed.
Turn your small change into big changes when you join Edinburgh Leisure with a reduced joining fee of just 1p!
The offer is available from today, Monday 25th October, until Sunday, 7 November 2021 on any of their swim, gym, fitness classes and climb memberships and is available to buy online only.
As everyone is different and needs to find their own way to a healthy and active life, Edinburgh Leisure offers a range of different membership options to suit everyone including swim, gym and fitness class only to full monthly memberships. By offering different types of membership, people can match their activity preferences to their pocket.
With 30+ venues including 1 climbing centre, 8 swimming pools, 13 gyms, and 800+ fitness classes per week, Edinburgh Leisure is the ‘biggest club in town’ providing the widest range of fitness classes, state of the art facilities and community-based programmes across the capital.
Funding from Swim England has enabled Edinburgh Leisure’s Royal Commonwealth Pool to install ‘a Poolpod’, a submersible lift, creating inclusive swimming environments for people with long-term health conditions, disabilities and rehabilitation needs.
The London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) provided a £750,000 grant in 2020 to allow Swim England and its partners, the Activity Alliance, Community Leisure UK and GLL – to enhance swimming provisions at selected venues across the UK. The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh is the only Scottish recipient, out of 20 sites across the UK, to receive the funding.
With one in five people in our population disabled or living with a long-term health condition, ‘the Poolpod’ gives dignified and independent access to the water for swimmers.
Lynne Bauba, Manager at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “The Poolpod was installed just before the lockdown in March 2020, and with the reduced capacity in our pool when we reopened due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to shout about the Poolpod until now.
“However, regular customers with long-term health conditions, disabilities and rehabilitation needs, have been delighted with this new facility.”
One such customer, Alison Malcolm, who became paralysed from the waist down aged 50, explains how she has benefitted from using the new Poolpod and why she loves swimming.
“When I got back in the pool for the first time, my body confidence was low, and I was concerned I wouldn’t float. It sounds daft but after five months in bed, it took a long time for my body to reset.
“However, the staff were great about encouraging me to swim. I’ve never met a member of staff who didn’t want to help.
“Swimming is one of the most accessible ways for people with disabilities to incorporate physical activity into their lives. One of the things I like most about it is that once you’re in the water, you’re the same as everyone else. It has been a great way for me to get active again and using the Poolpod to get in and out of the pool has made the whole experience more enjoyable.
“Now I tend to swim 24 lengths at the Commie three mornings a week. I enjoy the 50m lengths because I can get in the zone and give myself a cardio workout without putting too much strain on my body.”
Edinburgh Leisure boasts 18 swimming pools across the city, including their stunning Victorian swimming baths and pools within the secondary schools.
They offer a variety of pool-based activities to suit all abilities and while the Royal Commonwealth Pool is the only one to boast a Poolpod, most of them have hoists, which the leisure attendants are trained on, to assist people less able to access the pools.
Sir Rodney Walker, Chairperson of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “The Trust funds work which challenges inequality of access to physical activity. We want to help create a society in which everyone is physically active, contributing to their health and wellbeing.
“We know that people who benefit most from aquatic activity – including disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, older people, people with mobility issues and pregnant women – often face the biggest barriers to accessing a swimming pool.”
This exciting initiative is making swimming pools across the UK more accessible and ensuring a more inclusive customer experience for all.
The substantial grant from the LMCT has boosted Swim England’s Water Wellbeing model, which aims to help leisure centres remove barriers to accessing the water.
Water Wellbeing’s ‘whole facility’ approach encourages centres to understand and improve the customer experience, through a wide range of resources available on the Swim England website.
The search has begun for names for the Wall of Honour at the new Meadowbank Sports Centre as nominations opened today (Thursday 30 September).
A space within the atrium in the new building has been reserved to honour members of the public who have made significant contributions to Meadowbank’s past and legacy as a sport venue and community facility.
Edinburgh’s new Meadowbank will be one of the country’s top community sports centres when it opens and will feature some of the most state-of-the-art fitness facilities in the United Kingdom. The Centre is on track to open to the public before the end of the year with the Wall of Honour being added in the New Year.
Nominations must have a connection with Meadowbank and can be made in four categories:
Competitive Achievements – individuals who have medalled at a major senior championship within their sport. This includes Commonwealth, European, World or Olympic level events.
Community Service – individuals who have made significant contributions to sports, clubs and the Meadowbank community in a voluntary capacity.
Professional Service –individuals who were employed to work at Meadowbank Sports Centre for a significant period and contributed to the operation and development of the venue as a major training, sports, events, health and wellbeing, physical activity and community destination.
Special Contribution – individuals who do not meet elements of the above criteria but you feel are an outstanding individual who should be recognised on the Wall of Honour.
Communities, teams and individuals across Edinburgh have eight weeks to submit nominations for the Wall before the deadline of Friday 26 November. Final decisions will then be made by a selection panel.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As we prepare to open the brand new Meadowbank Sports Centre this is a wonderful way for the Capital’s citizens to pay a lasting tribute to the Meadowbank legacy and to outstanding individuals who have made a positive impact on sport in the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.
“Please help us celebrate the people of Edinburgh’s achievements by proposing a nominee now.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Meadowbank has been an important part of Scotland’s sporting history for many years and the new development will build on this legacy.
“The Wall of Honour is an excellent opportunity to highlight what has gone before and will be added to over the years as the new sports centre takes its place as an important venue for Edinburgh’s sporting future.
“We want to hear from the people of Edinburgh on who has inspired them over the years and deserves to be recognised and celebrated for years to come.”
Edinburgh Leisure launches new membership campaign
If the recent Olympics and Paralympics happening in Tokyo have inspired you to up your fitness game, Edinburgh Leisure’s latest membership offer may be just what you need to spur you on.
For those of you who may have neglected your fitness routine during lockdown, or for those who may have cancelled their gym memberships in a bid to save a few pounds but want to get active again, the enticing ‘no joining fee’ offer is available on new memberships from Wednesday, 1 September to Thursday, 30 September 2021.
Applicable to all fitness, swim, gym, class and climb memberships, the offer can be bought online via the Edinburgh Leisure website.
And if you want to share your fitness journey with a friend, existing members who refer a friend who then joins, will receive £25 cash back. For the first time, the ‘Refer a Friend’ offer will be processed using an online form.
With 50+ venues across the city, including a world class climbing centre; 8 swimming pools, which include four modernised Victorian pools and the Royal Commonwealth Pool in their portfolio; 12 state-of-the-art gyms; and 800+ fitness classes per week including Les Mills programmes across the various centres, Edinburgh Leisure is the biggest club in town, with something for everyone to enjoy moving and getting fitter.
With adult memberships starting from as little as £33.50, there is a range of packages, including swim, fitness, gym and climbing.
