Tag: facilities

Oriam completes synthetic pitch renovation project

A major upgrade to the playing surfaces at Oriam is now complete ushering in a new era of sporting excellence at the Edinburgh venue.

The £800,000 project, funded by Heriot-Watt University, has resulted in the renovation of three synthetic pitches. Each was uplifted and then replaced with cutting-edge materials using sustainable innovations.

Such is the quality of the new playing surfaces that they have achieved the prestigious FIFA 2 Star* MX Elite Professional Standard and IRB Compliant World Rugby certification.

This upgrade is expected to have a lasting impact on Oriam’s customers and professional athletes and teams who use the venue, including the Scottish Rugby Union, Scottish Football Association, Heart of Midlothian FC, and Heriot-Watt University Sports Union. It also reaffirms Oriam and Heriot-Watt University as a hub for sport and exercise in Scotland, catering to professional, university, and recreational athletes alike.

The project was led by Oriam’s Head of Operations, John Lowe, and took six months to complete. Reflecting on this achievement, John said: “It has been an honour to oversee the synthetic pitch replacement project.

“Heriot-Watt University’s £800,000 investment not only ensures Oriam remains a leader in world-class sports facilities but also demonstrates remarkable ambition. Completing the project from financial approvals to installation in under eight months is a testament to the dedication of my colleagues and the successful collaboration with Sportex and Sports Labs.”

The refurbishment was carried out by Sportex, a company who specialise in sports surfacing.

Luke McGeechan from Sportex highlighted their commitment to sustainability during the process: “At Sportex, we are proud to support sustainability through our Sportex Recycling programme. By carefully removing, separating, and repurposing the old turf from Oriam, we’ve minimised waste while promoting a more eco-friendly sports industry.”

The arrival of the new playing surfaces highlights the University’s commitment to deliver the best facilities for its students. This continued investment in sport has seen Heriot-Watt attract top sporting talent from across the world through the introduction of a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses and the University’s innovative Sports Scholarship Programme, which allows student athletes to balance their studies whilst continuing to compete at the highest level.

Lynda Johnstone is Global Director of Estates and Facilities at Heriot-Watt University. She said: “This major upgrade to the playing surfaces at Oriam is an £800,000 investment by Heriot-Watt University and showcases our continued commitment to providing world-class facilities for athletes at all levels, from students to professionals.

“By embracing cutting-edge, sustainable innovations, we have reaffirmed Oriam’s position at the heart of sports and exercise in Scotland.”

Luxury Scottish care home opens its doors to families 

Open day offers first-hand insight into home more akin to a lux hotel

FAMILIES are being given an opportunity to visit Scotland’s most upmarket care home as it opens its doors for the public to see its “luxury hotel” facilities.

Taking place on June 8th between 10am-2pm, Cramond Residence is set to host a family-friendly day featuring arts and crafts for kids, along with homemade baked goods, teas, and coffees.

The day aims to give those looking at care options a glimpse into the home’s world-class amenities including a private cinema, library, salon, and bespoke therapy areas.

It will also allow guests to find out more about the nurse-led care provision and expertise in supporting residents living with forms of dementia.

Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager at Cramond Residence said: “This open day will be the perfect occasion for families to witness first-hand the comforting, homely atmosphere that we pride ourselves on.

“Our open days are always an enjoyable experience for both our team and those who come to see us.

“We have a fun-filled day planned with plenty of arts and crafts to entertain the kids. Meanwhile, adults can enjoy a cup of coffee and some delicious baked goods from our incredible kitchen team, while our specialist staff will be available to answer any questions you might have about our home.”

Set in a purpose-built facility that represents a £8m investment, Cramond Residence boasts small group living in nine distinct houses. Each house provides a nurturing environment where residents can socialise, dine, and engage in activities, contributing to a vibrant community life.

The residence not only offers a high staff-to-resident ratio but also features advanced dementia care within its general setting or in a specialised area tailored for those in more advanced stages of the condition.

Christian added: ” At Cramond Residence, residents can look forward to exceptional care in an environment designed for them to thrive during their golden years.

“Our fantastic lifestyle team constantly arranges wonderful activities, ensuring there’s always something to look forward to. The residence itself offers a warm, homely feel that provides comfort to those who stay with us.

“We’re excited to welcome guests into our home and address any questions they may have. Choosing a care home is a significant, life-altering decision, and our team is here to help ease any concerns, providing the information needed to make this important choice with peace of mind.”

Cramond Residence offers a wide range of activities tailored for dementia care, enhancing residents’ quality of life and providing relief and support through specialist facilities and trained staff.

For more details on the open day or to learn more about Cramond Residence, please visit Cramond Residence’s website or contact them directly at enquiries@cramondresidence.co.uk.

Waterfront: We want YOUR thoughts!

WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS!

SATURDAY 4th MAY 11am – 2pm

The future is exciting for Granton Waterfront, we want to share plans and capture ideas for your heritage buildings.

Please share your ideas at our:

Drop-in event THIS SATURDAY 4th May

Granton Station, Waterfront Broadway

11am – 2pm

Or ONLINE from the 1-29 May

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/…/granton…

Dementia care experts to hold open day for families

SCOTLAND’S most luxurious care home is set to host an open day where members of the public are invited to come and experience an exclusive tour around its premises.

Dementia care experts, Cramond Residence is urging members of the public looking at care facilities to come and view its world-class facilities between 4 – 8pm on 2 May.

Guests will be led by professionals around its facilities to learn more about the benefits of the home, its unique care packages, as well as learning more about how Cramond Residence Tailors care provision for each individual resident.

Client Liaison Manager Christian Daraio said: “It’s always great to welcome new people into our home and our open day offers an opportunity for those exploring care for a loved one to come and view our brilliant facilities and get a feel for what makes Cramond Residence unique.

“A stay at Cramond Residence is truly unique, we have a wonderful team who help to ensure that the residence delivers the best care while having a comfortable homely feeling.

“This is the perfect chance to soak in the residence’s warm and friendly atmosphere, and enjoy a cup of tea with some homemade treats, all while having access to our staff to ask as many important questions as they need.”

Cramond Residence is divided into nine individual homes, each named after an area of Edinburgh, fostering a sense of community among residents. Each home has private dining and living rooms, encouraging socialising and lasting connections.

Visitors can explore the main communal areas, including a dining room, library, private dining room, cinema, physiotherapy area, and hairdressing salon.

Cramond Residence also offers advanced facilities, such as high-tech therapy baths, to cater to the diverse needs of its residents.

The residence features beautiful gardens and a summer house, welcoming guests to wander leisurely and appreciate the scenic environment.

The home offers a unique set of activities for residents to enjoy, thanks to its Lifestyle Team, who offer day trips to landmarks such as The Royal Yacht Britania as well as Therapet sessions, relaxing joy rides down to Cramond Beach and much more.

For further information about Cramond Residence, call 0131 336 1064 or visit the care home’s website at cramondresidence.co.uk.

To get in touch directly, please email enquiries@cramondresidence.co.uk.

Bangholm Sports and Outdoor Centre on track for August opening

Bangholm Sports and Outdoor Centre

A new sports and outdoor centre next to Trinity Academy in north Edinburgh will open its doors to pupils and the community in August.

Over £10m has been invested by the City of Edinburgh Council in the Bangholm Sports and Outdoor Centre which is part of a wider project which will see a new Trinity Academy school delivered by 2026.

The development is part of the Council’s ambitious Wave 4 new schools programme which will see a number of schools replaced or refurbished in the city over the next 10 years. The secondary schools are Liberton, Currie, Wester Hailes and Balerno.

As part of this programme the Council is progressing the project to replace and refurbish Trinity Academy in two phases. The first one will see the sports facility opening in August and then phase two will see the start of the design process for the replacement and refurbishment of the school on the main site.

The strategic plan is to keep and refurbish the original red sandstone Victorian building on Craighall Road, demolish all the other buildings and construct new facilities which will adjoin the original building ready for it opening in 2026.

There will be wide consultation with the school and wider community which included the Community Council meeting on Tuesday 13 June. Engagement work is ongoing with school staff and after the summer break there will be more detailed discussions with the school parents and cluster primary school communities.

In line with the Council’s commitment to creating 20-minute neighbourhoods the school will be designed to have wider community access. The next major milestone will be submission of the planning application at the end of the year with construction aiming to start in summer 2023.

Nick Burge, Head Teacher at Trinity Academy, said: “Having visited the site regularly over the last nine months, the new PE and Sport facilities at Bangholm look excellent. I have worked closely with the design team and feel very lucky to have seen the plans become a reality.

“We have a very healthy PE curriculum as well as our extensive after school competitive and recreational sports programme. The new facilities including the strength and condition suites, dance studio, gym and games hall, provide a wonderful environment for everyone in our school to access during and after the school day. 

“This is fantastic new horizon for our school and I am very grateful to everyone, particularly the current project team, the PE staff and our parent body who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point.  “

Of course this is only the first of a number of new and exciting horizons ahead of us as a school. The plans for developing the main school site are under way, with these being shared for feedback with the community early in the new academic session.

“I have and will continue to work closely with this new design team as we all work to deliver a school environment that ably delivers both excellence and equity for all of the young people and families we serve at Trinity Academy.”

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s great to hear that the new sports and outdoor centre will be opening after the summer as it will provide excellent facilities for both the school and wider community.

“This project is part of our exciting Wave 4 replacement school building programme which has already seen a new Castlebrae High School open at Easter. Work has started on a new Currie Community High School and plans are in place for more improvements at Liberton, Wester Hailes and Balerno.

“Despite the effects of the pandemic on the construction industry a number of new schools have opened in the past year, including both primary and special schools.

“We will carry on with our plans that will see more than £500m planned investment over the next decade as we’re committed to creating a first-class learning estate and ensuring all our children have the best possible learning environment in which to flourish.”

The Bangholm Sports and Outdoor Centre will include a four-court sports hall, gym hall, dance studio and fitness suite, and will become the new home to the school’s PE department. 

The Council’s Sport and Outdoor Learning Unit will also have a base in the centre so they can support outdoor learning in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.

Key Council services set to reopen

A number of key Council services, including libraries, community centres and galleries, will shortly reopen following the move to Level 3 in Scotland earlier this week.

Plans have been developed to prioritise the reopening of these venues in line with the Scottish Government’s current guidance and route map out of lockdown.

Services resuming include:

  • Three libraries reopening on Monday (3 May) with a further six in the coming weeks (full details below)
  • The City Art Centre will open on 15 May with four free summer exhibitions scheduled
  • Outdoor extra-curricular activities in schools restarted this week
  • Edinburgh Leisure centres are now open for individual exercise, including gyms, swimming pools, indoor court hire, racquet sports and children’s coaching, with outdoor contact sports for 12 to 17-year-olds and community access to high school sports facilities also restarted.

We’re also working closely with Community Centre Management Committees to decide what services are able to operate from the centres and when.

We’ll be following the latest Scottish Government and health guidance to make sure all venues are safe to reopen. Our first priority thus far has been ensuring our schools could reopen safely for our young people and staff but strict cleaning regimes and other measures will be in place to ensure the safety of everyone visiting venues or taking part in activities.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “It’s great to see our first libraries reopening their doors next week with more to follow in May as part of our plans for a gradual reopening of community amenities across the city.

“This phased reopening, which will also see the City Art Centre welcome back visitors, community centres offering essential services like youth work and Edinburgh Leisure venues up and running again, is the first step in our gradual and careful emergence from lockdown.

“Our libraries are invaluable resources for local communities as there’s so much more to a library than just borrowing books. They are trusted and much-loved hub buildings which strengthen local communities and are essential for the wellbeing of our citizens.

“Libraries are a vital requirement in any democratic society, giving access to knowledge and literature, helping to bridge the digital divide and supporting literacy.”

Culture and Communities Vice Convener Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “We really appreciate everyone’s support and patience as we gradually start to welcome people back into their much-loved local spaces like our libraries, community centres and sports venues. I’m sure everyone will fully appreciate that our top priority remains the health of our citizens and staff.

“I’m particularly delighted that our libraries are able to begin reopening, especially here in the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, but also that the City Art Centre is able to open with four fantastic new – and free – exhibitions for our residents to enjoy as they take their first steps back towards normality.”

Libraries

Central, Drumbrae, and Kirkliston will be open this Monday (3 May) followed by Craigmillar, Fountainbridge, McDonald Road and Stockbridge (10 May). Wester Hailes will reopen on 17 May and Gilmerton on 24 May.

It is hoped that the remaining libraries will open again as soon as possible after these dates.

Residents are reminded that numbers will be limited in the buildings due to the safety measures in place and visits will need to be booked in advance – this can be done online or by phoning the library.

The buildings will be open by appointment for browsing and borrowing books, using computers and the internet, processing bus passes (National Entitlement Cards) or collecting hearing aid batteries. Returning books and picking up free sanitary products will not require a booking.

Social distancing measures will be in place and wearing face coverings is mandatory.

Museums and Galleries

The City Art Centre will open on 15 May with two new exhibitions –Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s and Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light. Two further exhibitions are planned Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay (22 May) and Islander: The paintings of Donald Smith following a week later. All exhibitions are free.

Plans are being finalised for the reopening of other galleries and museums. Updates regarding reopening dates and measures in place to keep everyone safe will be published as soon as possible.

Community centres

We’re contacting all Community Centre Management Committees this week to provide support in re-establishing essential services such as youth work. As was the case before lockdown, processes are in place to allow them to identify services they want to resume and any support required to do so.

Extracurricular activities (ECA)

Outdoor ECA resumed in schools on 26 April and include activities such as sport, drama, dance music and art.

Indoor ECA aren’t currently permitted under the guidance but we’re considering their resumption alongside the need to maintain the strict cleaning regimes currently operating in our schools as the safety of our pupils and staff remains our priority.

Edinburgh Leisure

Outdoor contact sports for 12–17-year-olds started back on 5 April and community access to high school sports facilities on 19 April. Tennis courts and golf courses have been open since June 2020 with golf, in particular, seeing an upswing in participation (winter golf membership up 400%, year-on-year).

Leisure centres are now open for individual exercise, including gyms, swimming pools, indoor court hire, racquet sports and children’s coaching. It is hoped that outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart on 17 May, with indoor non-contact sport following in early June (as per Scottish Government’s current route map).

Community facilities at Waitrose Comely Bank

wait

Local not for profit groups and can now book a free meeting room at Waitrose Comely Bank. The new community room is free of charge and can be used whenever the store is open, including weekends. It has a table and chairs and can accommodate 20 people. To book the room please call the branch on 0131 332 6312.

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sportscotland announces £20 million investment

sportscotlandsportscotland today announced a new £20 million National and Regional Facilities Investment, but the Scottish Greens are urging consultation with users to ensure sport can be ‘accessible, affordable and enjoyable’ for all.

The national agency for sport has identified a number of areas in Scotland which can benefit from improved facilities and will work closely with its partners in local authorities and Scottish Governing Bodies of sport to help deliver new projects.

This new investment strand will result in large multi-purpose sports facilities, which will enhance the existing network of national and regional sports facilities across Scotland.

These new facilities will be available for communities to use as well as performance athletes at regional and national levels.

On the eve of Glasgow 2014 – the largest multi-sport event in Scotland’s history – sporting facilities in the country are the best they have ever been and are set to improve even further.

A number of centres of sporting excellence are already in place across Scotland, including Aberdeen Sports Village, the Emirates Arena, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and Tollcross Acquatics Centre in Glasgow, Dundee’s Dick McTaggart Gymnastics Centre and Olympia swimming centre, Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool, The PEAK in Stirling, and the Ravenscraig Regional Facility in Motherwell.

These excellent facilities resulted from sportscotland’s previous investment of £44.3 million, as part of the National Regional Sports Facilities Strategy, complementing some £300 million capital investment from local authorities.

In addition, Scotland’s £30 million National Performance Centre for Sport will be completed by 2016 at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University campus.

Today’s £20 million facilities announcement will be prioritised in areas identified as requiring improvements, ensuring more athletes have access to high quality sports facilities and services.

Highland, Tayside & Fife, Ayrshire, East (Edinburgh), Stirling, and the Scottish Borders have been identified as areas which could benefit from this strategy.

Outlining details of this new facilities investment strand, sportscotland Chief Executive Stewart Harris said: “We have capitalised on Glasgow 2014 by accelerating our plans for a world-class sporting system at every level thanks to National Lottery and Scottish Government funding, and today’s £20 million investment announcement is a significant milestone in delivering even more excellent sporting facilities for the people of Scotland and performance athletes to use.

“The standards of facilities in Scotland are the best they have ever been, and today we are outlining a new investment stream which will further enhance the existing network. The National and Regional Facilities Investment will provide more and better opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in sport and physical activity.”

Welcoming today’s announcement, the Cabinet Secretary for the Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “Investing in new multi-purpose sports centres will open up even more opportunities for people to try new sports and lead healthier and more active lives. Scotland already enjoys world-class facilities and with just days until the Commonwealth Games begin, this £20 million pound investment demonstrates our long term ambitions for sport.

“We are committed to making Scotland a healthier nation, from helping people of all ages to enjoy sport to supporting athletes to compete at the highest level. By working with local authorities and sporting bodies, the National and Regional Facilities Fund will create a lasting legacy from the Games for years to come.”

Whilst also welcoming the investment, Green MSP for Lothian Alison Johnstone, who is sport spokesperson for her party, is calling for consultation with user groups to determine how the £20million should be used to improve sporting facilities.

The MSP, who is a former competitive athlete and qualified athletics coach, said: “While I welcome investment in facilities that cater for a broad range of needs, it’s vitally important that we see meaningful consultation with all user groups. In deciding where this money is spent we must listen to the needs of athletes, coaches, governing bodies and leisure facility users.

“The demise of Meadowbank stadium in Edinburgh is a classic example of what not to do. We need to ensure new and upgraded facilities come with realistic maintenance budgets and appropriately trained staff. We need to make sure no area is left behind in the race to create a Commonwealth Games legacy.

“Given the health issues our society faces from inactive lifestyles, and the growing cost to the NHS, we must take every opportunity to make sport accessible, enjoyable and affordable.”

The city council has also welcomed the sportscotland announcement of £50m investment over the next four years.

Councillor Cathy Fullerton, Vice Convener of Education, Children and Families said: “Today’s announcement by sportscotland is great news for school children in Edinburgh and I’m delighted there will be funding for another four years. 2014 is a really big year for sport in Scotland with the Commonwealth Games taking centre stage and thanks to our fantastic Active Schools team there have been some amazing sporting events taking place across the Capital.

“In May our ‘Tri-umph Triathlon’ attracted over 1,700 children and was followed by the hugely successful Games @ THE HUB. These events provide children with a great opportunity to experience a variety of different sports which they will hopefully be inspired to take up outside of school.”