Tag: leisure

£5 million refurb for OMNi Centre

Edinburgh’s premier leisure and entertainment destination, Omni Centre, has announced a £5 million refurbishment and works are set to begin this month.

International investment group Triple B acquired OMNi in April 2024 and announced its  commitment to enhancing communities and promoting positive experiences through  transformative real estate projects. The investment will help OMNi kick-start its journey of  evolution, with locals at the heart of the project.  

The public realm refurbishment will include improvements to walkways and new flooring  throughout the centre, an enhanced main entrance with improved visibility, replacement LED  lighting, new seating zones and substantial internal structural work to create inviting spaces  for visitors to meet, dwell and enjoy. Works are expected to be completed later this year. 

Martin Botha, OMNi Edinburgh Centre Manager, said:  “We are thrilled to announce our improvement plans for OMNi, a project that reflects our  commitment to providing an exceptional experience for our visitors and a bustling  environment for our brands. 

“This transformation will bring exciting new features, modern amenities, a brand revamp and  the introduction of live events and experiences, creating a space that not only meets but  exceeds the expectations of the 4+ million visitors we welcome each year.  

“We’re on a mission to inject a sense of fun and excitement into everyone’s visit and at each  brand touchpoint, whether that’s meeting up with friends before venturing out into the city or  spending quality downtime in-centre, day or night.

” We look forward to embarking on this exciting new chapter and truly owning the title of Edinburgh’s top leisure destination.” 

Thomas Archer Bata, Director at Triple B, said: “Triple B is committed to investing in OMNi to enhance the wider community and support the  brands within.

“This refurbishment marks the start of a brand-new phase for OMNi; the  physical enhancements, coupled with a new mission to integrate and connect further into the  vibrant city of Edinburgh, will deliver a greatly improved and welcoming space for our  visitors, whilst enhancing the overall customer experience.” 

The centre refurbishment coincides with brand-led refurbishments with more news on this  soon. OMNi and its brands will remain open and fully accessible throughout the  refurbishment project. 

Refurbishment updates will be available throughout via the OMNi website and social media  channels. OMNi Edinburgh is open 6am – 1am, Monday to Sunday. Individual brand opening  times may vary, including Bank Holidays.

Edinburgh Cup Raceday is weekend tonic for Musselburgh racing fans

Musselburgh Racecourse is preparing for one of its most competitive race days of the summer season – The Edinburgh Cup in partnership with Edinburgh Gin – on Saturday 7 June.

A thrilling day of top-class horse racing, live entertainment, and premium hospitality is on the cards at the seven-race meeting with prize money of almost £160,000 on offer.

The feature race, the £50,000 Edinburgh Cup, run over 1 mile 1 furlong, is complemented by the equally prestigious £50,000 Edinburgh Gin British EBF Queen of Scots Stakes, which showcases the finest fillies and mares over seven furlongs.

The Queen of Scots event – a Class 1 Listed race – has become a key stepping stone for horses targeting Royal Ascot and the major summer festivals during the flat racing season and this year’s renewal is expected to attract another stellar field.

Musselburgh Racecourse director, Bill Farnsworth, said: “The Edinburgh Cup has established itself as one of the standout fixtures in Scotland’s racing calendar, consistently attracting high-quality fields from leading trainers across the UK, and this year promises to deliver the same exceptional standard of racing that has made this meeting so popular with both racing enthusiasts and social racegoers alike.”

For racing fans keen to keep up with the action at the Betfred Derby, screens around the course will show the world’s greatest Flat race live from Epsom Downs.

Away from the track, Musselburgh’s Main Stage will feature live music entertainment, building up to the legendary After Racing Party hosted by Forth One’s popular Boogie in the Morning, which is open to all racegoers after the final race.

Best dressed racegoer of the day could win a £500 clothing voucher and four Pimm’s Enclosure tickets to Musselburgh’s sell-out Ladies Day on 8 August, courtesy of Slater Menswear, who are the official Men’s Fashion Partner to The Edinburgh Cup Raceday.

Open to both ladies and gents, other prizes include £250 and £150 Slater gift vouchers and admission tickets to the popular Oktoberfest Raceday or Friday Night at the Races events. Head to the Style Standout fashion wall by the Main Stage to enter and the winner will be announced before the final race by radio presenter Boogie.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in offerings from Scotland’s finest street food vendors, with options carefully selected to cater to all dietary requirements and The Edinburgh Gin Botanical Bar will serve refreshing, botanical-inspired cocktails, perfectly complementing the summer racing atmosphere.

“We’ve created an event that appeals to everyone – from serious racing fans who appreciate the quality of our racing, to groups of friends looking for a fantastic day out,” added Bill Farnsworth.

“The combination of top-class sport, excellent food and drink, live entertainment, and our beautiful Links setting makes for an unbeatable experience.”

Gates open at 11.15am, and the first and last races are scheduled for 1.20pm and 4.55pm, respectively.

Tickets and hospitality packages are available through the Musselburgh Racecourse website www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Tonight: Edinburgh Twirling Academy Spring Show

WEST PILTON NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE – Doors Open 6.30pm

EDINBURGH TWIRLING ACADEMY SPRING SHOW🖤🌟

Reminder that our spring show displaying our competition girls hard work this season is TONIGHT!

Doors open 18:30 for a 19:00 start⏰

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre🏡

Tickets are £5 entry £3 concessions🎟️

Can’t wait to see you all there🤩

Craigie: Football Coaches Wanted!

Good afternoon @everyone

The club is looking to add to the coaching team.

If you know of any Parents, Uncles, Aunties, Brothers, Sisters, friends of the family etc, that may be interested then please reach out.

Alternately ask them to speak to myself (on below details) or Colin Dudgeon when down at the pitches.

Thanks,

Daz

🟡🔵🟡🔵

Teeing Off Through Time: New golf exhibition debuts as legendary Dispatch Trophy returns

A captivating new golf exhibition, ‘Teeing Off Through Time,‘ has been unveiled at Braid Hills Golf Course, coinciding with preparations for the milestone 125th Edinburgh Evening News Dispatch Trophy.

The exhibition celebrates Edinburgh’s rich golfing heritage just as the city’s most prestigious amateur team golf championship returns to Braid Hills.

The historic Dispatch Trophy, dating back to 1890, will commence on May 17th with the final scheduled for May 24th. This beloved tournament features a unique double foursome’s format with four-player teams and has been a cornerstone of Edinburgh’s golfing tradition for over 130 years, interrupted only by the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Teeing Off Through Time’ is the third exhibition in Edinburgh Leisure’s series celebrating Edinburgh 900 and is free to visitors in the foyer of Edinburgh Leisure’s Braid Hills golf course.

The exhibition chronicles Edinburgh’s pivotal role in golf’s origins, showcases Edinburgh Leisure’s six golf courses and their vibrant communities, explores the evolution of golf clubs, highlights the storied histories of the Dispatch Trophy and Gibson Cup, and provides information on joining Edinburgh Leisure’s golf club.

“With the Dispatch Trophy being played at the Braids, and the Scottish Open taking place at the Renaissance Club in July, we’re hoping there will be lots of golfers interested in paying the exhibition a visit,” said Kerry Teakle, PR Officer at Edinburgh Leisure, who has led the project.

“The timing couldn’t be better to celebrate our city’s tremendous golfing heritage.”

The exhibition will remain at Braid Hills until Thursday, May 29th, before moving to Silverknowes golf course. Golf enthusiasts will have another opportunity to view the exhibition from July 9-15 as part of the broader Edinburgh 900 Exhibition at St James Quarter, where it will be displayed in a unit on Leith Street, next to Mhor Bakery.

Edinburgh Leisure was selected to represent the “City of Leisure” theme at the St James Quarter exhibition. Their previous Edinburgh 900 exhibitions, ‘Great Lengths’ and ‘Your Health is for Life,’ which showcase the organisation’s 27-year commitment to promoting active lifestyles and the history of swimming pools in Edinburgh, will also be on display.

“Having the opportunity to again display our other Edinburgh 900 exhibitions alongside the newer golf exhibition at St James in July is the perfect opportunity to showcase all the great facilities we have,” Kerry added. “It also highlights Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programmes which supported 14,782 people in 2024-2025 who face significant barriers to physical activity, including those affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty – empowering participants to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life.”

Edinburgh Leisure received funding for the exhibition as part of the prestigious Edinburgh 900 celebrations, a landmark initiative commemorating the city’s rich history spanning almost a millennium.

The full Edinburgh 900 programme examines the city’s evolution through commerce, conflict, faith, and finance, while celebrating Edinburgh’s present and envisioning its future aspirations.

Musselburgh Racecourse weighs in with £240,000 investment

New Weigh room at Musselburgh 13th April 2025 Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723

Musselburgh Racecourse has invested £240,000 to upgrade its jockey’s weighing room into one of the most modern in UK racing.

A weighing room is regarded as one of the most important areas on a racecourse and is best known as the place where jockeys prepare for competition and relax between races but also acts as the hub of operations for raceday officials, valets, racecourse teams and medical staff.

The sports governing body, the British Horseracing Authority, is supporting a £40 million-plus project to modernise all 60 UK racecourses and Musselburgh is the latest to comply with measures to enhance the raceday experience of elite jockeys.

The upgrade provides the jockeys who compete at Musselburgh each year with first-class changing and shower facilities, a larger warm-up room and physio facilities alongside an improved canteen area.

New Weigh room at Musselburgh 13th April 2025 Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723

Musselburgh Racecourse director, Bill Farnsworth, said: “We are grateful for the support of Chester Race Company who have made this significant investment to transform our weighing room into one of the most modern in the country.

“It was not without its challenges in agreeing a design within a limited footprint, but the feedback from jockeys and officials has been overwhelming positive and we are pleased with the result.”

Professional Jockeys Association Racing Director, Dale Gibson, added: “On behalf of our members under both codes, we applaud the team at Musselburgh who have facilitated an impressive upgrade, providing equal facilities and services for both sexes.

“The venue upgrade includes an improved rest area, gender-neutral valet room, modernised changing rooms and dedicated warm up area. 

“The updated facilities were very well received by our jumps members recently so a big thank you to Musselburgh and the team is very much in order.”

Prize money up and record attendances as Musselburgh Racecourse bucks national trend

Increased prize money, record attendances at its New Year’s Day and Edinburgh Cup meetings, and a boost in hospitality guests underlined a successful 2024 for Musselburgh Racecourse.

An annual report on the East Lothian track’s performance showed prize money at the East Lothian course totalled £2,429,600 – up by 6.3% on the previous year – and an 14.6% increase on prize money in 2022.

Musselburgh also attracted more hospitality guests – 3,938 last year compared to 3,587 in 2023 – and Annual Membership grew by 16% from 263 in 2023 to 306 in 2024.

The racecourse would have recorded an increase in total attendance for the year if it had not been forced to abandon its hugely popular Easter Saturday fixture due to weather and which usually attracts a 5,000 strong crowd.

With two less meetings run in 2024 (25) compared to 2023 (27), total attendance was a healthy 58,744, down from 60,294 in 2023, but average attendance at meetings run was up from 2,319 to 2,448.

Across its premium race days, Musselburgh enjoyed significant crowd increases with a 11.5% jump and an extra 653 racegoers on New Year’s Day (6,289 compared to 5,636 in 2023) and almost a 20% boost at the Edinburgh Cup fixture (5,966 compared to 5,048 in 2023).

Musselburgh’s annual Friday Night at the Races fixture in early August enjoyed it’s largest crowd to date of 4,375, while Ladies Day was an 8,000 capacity sell-out – an increase of almost 600 on the previous year – and the 20th year in succession that Ladies Day has sold out.

A new Oktoberfest themed race day in September was a huge hit with racegoers and compared to the 2023 meeting held on the same date there as a 1,600 bump in attendance.

Aisling Johnston, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “The figures show a strong performance with significant increases in attendance at our key meetings and it could have been even better if we had not lost our Easter Saturday meeting, which was very disappointing.

“Our ground staff worked exceptionally hard in 2024, often in adverse conditions, to keep the track and facilities in tip-top condition, and the commercial team achieved outstanding results by increasing like-for-like attendances, which bucked the national trend.

“With family budgets under pressure and lots of competing sporting and entertainment options, we are constantly upping our game to ensure that Musselburgh Racecourse remains a compelling offering for those looking for an exciting and enjoyable day, afternoon or evening out.”

Sketching at granton:hub

Landscape, Seascape & Urban Sketching: All Levels

10 weeks, April to June 2025

Capture the spirit of Granton’s waterfront, streets, and skyline in this exciting new sketching course. Open to all levels, this class is perfect for those inspired by the urban environment and natural surroundings.

You’ll explore the essentials of line, light, and perspective while sketching both on-site and in the studio. Expect friendly guidance, creative inspiration, and the chance to exhibit your work in our Summer Exhibition.

Book here or at our link in bio:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/landscape-seascape-urban…

Spaces are limited—book now to secure your place at the discounted rate!

We look forward to welcoming you—whether you’re joining us again or for the very first time—as we begin a new season of creativity and connection.

Warm regards,

On behalf of The Art School Team

Romain Viguier

Teeing up history at Silverknowes

Edinburgh Leisure scores Heritage Grant

Edinburgh Leisure has secured a £500 grant from the Sporting Heritage Grants Programme, made possible by the players of the National Lottery and Heritage Fund to celebrate the city’s remarkable golfing legacy. 

Working alongside their golf team, this exciting project will shine a spotlight on the rich history of Edinburgh’s six golf courses, tracing the sport’s roots from its 15th-century origins at Leith Links through to the prestigious Dispatch Trophy, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of being played. 

Silverknowes Golf Course will host an exhibition bringing together a fascinating collection of golfing treasures.

Visitors can expect to discover historical artifacts from local clubs, pore over archival photographs and documents, and dive into the personal stories of club members that have shaped the golfing community over the generations.

Rohan Craig, Golf Supervisor at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Our golf heritage exhibition will be looking to transcend traditional sporting narratives by uncovering overlooked community stories and creating inclusive pathways to engagement. By positioning golf as more than a sport – but a social and cultural touchstone – we’re hoping to attract non-traditional audiences.

“We’ll be reaching out to the various clubs that use our courses, in the hope that they can contribute physical memorabilia and archival materials, historical object and photographs and encourage anyone with interesting memorabilia to get in touch.”

This initiative, part of Sporting Heritage’s UK-wide programme celebrating local sporting history, promises to be a hole-in-one for golf enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

The exhibition will complement Edinburgh Leisure’s Edinburgh 900 exhibition, coming soon, which will be displayed at the Braids Golf Course for the 125th year of the Dispatch Trophy in May 2025.

Keep up with the project’s progress by following @sportinghistory.