Tag: Meadowbank Sports Centre

Quick lifesaving skills save the life of an Edinburgh athlete at Meadowbank

A local man is thanking his lucky stars and staff at a popular city sports venue for saving his life, when he collapsed on the running track following a training session early in March.

Keith Ridley, 69, from Willowbrae, and a coach with Edinburgh Athletic Club had just finished his own training session on the outdoor running track at Meadowbank Sports Centre, before he was due to start training younger members of the club, when he collapsed.  

Thanks to the quick action of some medical students, who were training on the track, and Martin Bews, Operations Supervisor at Meadowbank Sports Centre, who administered CPR until the ambulance arrived to take over, Mr Ridley has lived to tell the tale.  Greg Cobb, a Welcome Host at Meadowbank, who had trained as a cardiac nurse in a previous life, also gave invaluable support to Martin at the time.

Keith was taken to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, where he had two stents installed in blocked arteries and an ICD (implantable defibrillator) in his chest.

Keith Ridley said: “I count myself incredibly fortunate with the circumstances in which my heart attack happened and will be forever grateful for the quick actions of the medical students and the staff at Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadowbank Sports Centre, especially Martin and Greg, who most definitely saved my life. 

“Medical friends of mine have told me just how critical those first few minutes are in terms of the right care administered that can make the difference in saving a life.”

Claire Rusack, Operations Director at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are so glad that Keith is doing well and on the road to recovery. We are so proud of all the team and for the great outcome.

“Edinburgh Leisure places a huge importance on equipping our staff with the necessary skills to cope with lots of different situations.  In this instance, their first aid training and accident and emergency procedures ensured an incident well managed. You hope you’ll never have to use your first aid skills, but it just highlights how critical these skills can be in saving someone’s life.”

Keith spent a week in hospital but recovered well and has now returned home.  On the advice of his cardiology nurse, he is undertaking light exercise including walking and hopes to return to a structured exercise programme in the near future. He is hoping that he might be eligible to be referred to Edinburgh Leisure’s Fit For Health programme to help with his rehabilitation.

Fit For Health is a 16-week physical activity referral programmed delivered by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership. Sessions are delivered across various Edinburgh Leisure venues. 

Edinburgh Leisure offers First Aid courses, which are accredited by Ofqual and presented in association with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK). These include First Aid at Work (Full 3 days); First Aid at Work (2 days refresher), Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day), Paediatric First Aid (2 days),

Emergency Paediatric First Aid (1 day). 

Edinburgh Leisure also run first aid courses for clubs and colleges.   These are in addition to their RLSS programme, and they welcome any requests.

For more information, visit: https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/swim-education#firstaid or email ata@edinburghleisure.co.uk

For more information:   www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Meadowbank Sports Centre is open

The new Meadowbank Sports Centre was officially opened at a special ceremony yesterday (Friday 4 November).

The new £47m centre is a state-of-the-art community sports facility built on the site of the original Meadowbank, which closed in December 2017.

The new Meadowbank opened its doors to the public in July this year and features a wide range of enhanced facilities and will support physical activity, sport, health and well-being in Edinburgh for generations to come.

The new venue supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities with two multi-sport halls with seating, a gym and three large fitness studios.

In recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank and its 50+ years of sporting history a Wall of Honour has been unveiled in the atrium featuring over 45 names.

The wall honours people who have made significant contributions to Meadowbank’s past and its legacy as a sport and community venue. The honourees have been nominated by the public in four categories: Competitive Achievements, Community Service, Professional Service and Special Contribution.

Inductees include sport heroes Chris Hoy, Lynsey Sharp, Allan Wells and Jake Wightman and sport coaches such as gymnastic coach Maggie Bissett and athletics coach Bill Walker.

Cllr Day was joined by Scott Haldane from Edinburgh Leisure and Mel Young from sportscotland to welcome partners, elected members and representatives from sport governing bodies and sports clubs and Wall of Honour inductees.

To coincide with the official opening, Edinburgh Leisure will be celebrating with an open weekend at the centre with free activities available from Friday 4 until Sunday 6 November 2022.

Over the weekend, there will be children’s coaching, gym, fitness classes, racquet sports, and the running track and athletics area will be available for everyone to come and try for free.

Council Leader, Cammy Day, said: I’m delighted that with our partners we have been able to provide this fantastic facility which will offer year-round opportunities for both adults and young people to take part in sport.

“We are committed to encouraging and enabling everyone to become more physically active and enjoy the associated benefits. It’s important for sport to be as accessible as possible for our residents and our investment in fit-for-purpose sports facilities is helping to ensure that as many people as possible can get involved in sport throughout the year.

“The Wall of Honour has been a great way for our citizens to pay a lasting tribute to the Meadowbank legacy and to some outstanding individuals who have made a positive impact on sport in the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.

“More names will be added to the wall in the future as we continue to honour those who inspire and deserve to be recognised and celebrated for years to come.”

June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said: “The team at Meadowbank has enjoyed welcoming customers, old and new to this amazing new facility since we opened our doors on 19 July and the reaction from customers has been very positive.

“The centre has a large variety of activities on offer, and we have been developing the activity programme in response to demand and customer feedback, ensuring the new Meadowbank Sports Centre establishes itself with a new generation.

“And to coincide with the City of Edinburgh Council’s official opening on 4 November, we are celebrating the occasion by opening the whole venue for free from Friday, 4 to Sunday, 6 November.

“There will be children’s coaching (football and multi-activity), gym, fitness glasses, racquet sports and the running track and athletics area will be available for everyone to come and find out first hand for themselves what all the fuss is about.

“I would encourage everyone to pay us a visit and join in the fun!”

Mel Young, Chair of sportscotland, said: “Meadowbank has long been at the heart of sport and physical activity in the City of Edinburgh and it’s fantastic to see that tradition continuing with the opening of this magnificent new centre.

“At sportscotland we work closely with partners like City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure to ensure that the facilities that we invest in are in the right place and will really meet the long term needs of the community, whether that’s an introduction to sport and physical activity, or supporting the aspirations of some of Scotland’s best athletes.

“This new, inclusive Meadowbank Sports Centre really delivers on that ambition which is why we were delighted to invest £5million of National Lottery funding through our Sports Facilities Fund to support this important project.”

Free open weekend to celebrate Meadowbank’s official opening

Although Meadowbank Sports Centre opened its doors to the public on 19 July, The City of Edinburgh Council will be holding its official opening on Friday, 4 November.  

To coincide with this opening, Edinburgh Leisure will be celebrating the occasion by opening the whole of Meadowbank Sports Centre for free from Friday, 4th until Sunday, 6th November 2022.

Over the weekend, there will be kids’ coaching, gym, fitness classes, racquet sports, and the running track and athletics area available for everyone to come and try for free and to find out first-hand what all the fuss is about.

Donald Goldsmith, Manager at Meadowbank Sports Centre said: “My team and I have been enjoying welcoming customers old and new to these state-of-the-art facilities but there are still lots of people across the city who haven’t had the opportunity to see this fantastic new facility for Edinburgh.

“So, whether it’s for nostalgic reasons or with a view to signing up for membership, please do take the opportunity to pay us a visit.  I know you’ll be impressed. We have a fantastic joining offer of just 1p across the weekend too – our Penny Campaign, which is only available until 6th November, so don’t miss out on this fantastic offer to kick start your fitness and wellbeing routine.”

The new Meadowbank is supporting physical activity, sport, health, and wellbeing in Edinburgh for generations to come, while also recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank and over 50 years of sporting history at the venue.

Edinburgh Leisure has different memberships that are flexible and affordable. Customers can choose a Gym, Swim or Fitness Class package at Meadowbank or their local venue or sign up for Edinburgh Leisure’s most popular Full Fitness membership giving individuals unlimited access to all their venues across the city. 

18-24 year olds can enjoy unlimited access to gyms, pools, classes and climbing for just £25 a month with their Young Adult Membership.

There are additional member benefits like priority bookings, free gym introduction and discounts on a range of activities. There is no contract – and customers can freeze or cancel their membership at any time. 

Picture – Chris Watt Photography 07887554193 info@chriswatt.com www.chriswatt.com

The new Meadowbank has much to offer the local community and communities throughout Edinburgh and includes the following facilities:

  • Outdoor eight-lane athletics track with a 499-seat stand and outdoor throwing and jumps area
  • A 60m six-lane indoor athletics track and jumps space
  • Two multi-sport halls with fixed and moveable spectator seating
  • A hall for trampolining and dance
  • Two fitness studios (capacity – 30 each), which include world-renowned Les Mills programme of classes, smart tech bars and weights
    • The fitness class timetable will open with 92 classes
  • A Cycle Studio (capacity – 30) with Life Fitness IC7 bikes and ICG myride and Les Mills RPM classes
  • A gym with Life Fitness equipment, dumbbells up to 50kg, Watt bikes, SkiErg, row and Cybex SPARC machines (capacity – 90)
    • Combined bumped plates weighs in the gym – 2927.5kg
    • Combined dumbbell weight in the gym – 1,918kg
    • 40+ pieces of resistance and free weights equipment
  • Two squash courts
  • A combat studio for martial arts
  • A boxing gym
  • Two 3G (synthetic) pitches, including one with a 499-seat stand
  • A hospitality Suite and event-hosting facilities
  • Cafe and meeting rooms

To find out how to book for the various free sessions during the Meadowbank Open Weekend (Friday, 4th – Sunday, 6th November 2022), visit: 

https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/venues/meadowbank-sports-centre/events

To find out more about the Penny Campaign, click here

Meadowbank Sports Centre opens tomorrow

The much-anticipated reopening of Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh takes place tomorrow, as the new £47m project opens its doors to the public at 7 a.m. Tuesday, 19 July 2022, after a closure of four and a half years.

Owned by The City of Edinburgh Council and managed by the charity, Edinburgh Leisure, this new state-of-the-art community sports facility, will support physical activity, sport, health, and wellbeing in Edinburgh for generations to come, whilst also recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank.  

The new venue supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities including two multi-sport games halls with seating, three fitness studios and a gym with triple the number of exercise stations.

Commenting on the reopening, Edinburgh Leisure’s Chief Executive, June Peebles, said: “Donald Goldsmith, the manager at Meadowbank, and his team are incredibly excited (as I am) about this much anticipated opening and are looking forward to welcoming customers old and new to this multi-million-pound investment which will provide countless opportunities for Edinburgh citizens to be active and will undoubtedly contribute to the wellbeing of our City.

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “The City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We are delighted with the new Meadowbank Sports Centre – I believe it will be one of the best facilities for community and club sport in the country. I hope the fantastic and top of the range facilities will encourage people to get more active and more often. I was very impressed when I was given my first look and I’m confident members old and new will be too.

“Participation and accessibility are at the heart of the centre, and it will bring huge physical, mental, and social benefits to generations of local people for years to come. There is a packed programme of activity and range of classes for all interests and ability. Meadowbank has been an iconic part of the Capital’s sporting history and I’m in no doubt that the new Centre will build on this legacy.”

Chair of sportscotland, Mel Young, Chair said: “Meadowbank Sports Centre has been a sporting and social hub for so many people in the Edinburgh area over the years. Thanks to this incredible £47million refurbishment, people of all ages and abilities will be able to reap the benefits of newly refurbished facilities.

“The re-opening of Meadowbank will provide the local community with access to a state-of-the-art sport and physical activity centre on their doorstep, creating significant participation opportunities.

“This collaboration between The City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Leisure and sportscotland is a great example of partnership working developing genuine opportunities that will help make sport, and physical activity a way of life for local people.’’  sportscotland contributed £5million to the project.”

The new Meadowbank has much to offer the local community and communities throughout Edinburgh and includes the following facilities:

  • An outdoor eight-lane athletics track with a 499-seat stand and outdoor throwing and jumps area
  • A 60m six-lane indoor athletics track and jumps space
  • Two multi-sport halls with fixed and moveable spectator seating
  • A hall for trampolining and dance
  • Two fitness studios (capacity – 30 each), which include world-renowned Les Mills programme of classes, smart tech bars and weights
    • The fitness class timetable will open with 92 classes
  • A Cycle Studio (capacity – 30) with Life Fitness IC7 bikes and ICG myride and Les Mills RPM classes
  • A gym with Life Fitness equipment, dumbbells up to 50kg, Watt bikes, SkiErg, row and Cybex SPARC machines (capacity – 90)
    • Combined bumped plates weighs in the gym – 2927.5kg
    • Combined dumbbell weight in the gym – 1,918kg
    • 40+ pieces of resistance and free weights equipment
  • Two squash courts
  • A combat studio for martial arts
  • A boxing gym
  • Two 3G (synthetic) pitches, including one with a 499-seat stand
  • A hospitality Suite and event-hosting facilities
  • Cafe and meeting rooms

Opening times and how to buy memberships are available on Edinburgh Leisure’s website and social media.

Pictures: Chris Watt Photography

Snooker’s Scottish Open heads to Meadowbank 

The Meadowbank Sports Centre will welcome the best snooker players on the planet later this year when the Scottish Open comes to Edinburgh.

The world ranking event will run from November 28 to December 4 and will be staged at the Meadowbank Sports Centre for the first time. It will be the first professional snooker event in Edinburgh since 2003.

The venue hosted the Commonwealth Games in both 1970 and 1986. It closed in 2017 but reopened to the public this week following a multi-million-pound redevelopment.

Welcoming the news, Scotland’s top player John Higgins said: “It’s brilliant news for the Scottish players as we have really missed the chance to play in our home tournament over the last couple of years.

“I think there’s a lot of support for snooker and a lot of people playing the game in Edinburgh. I would love to win it in front of my own fans.”

Higgins was runner-up to Luca Brecel in the event last year and reached six finals over the season, albeit the only won he won was the Championship League. Reflecting on his consistency, the 47-year-old from Wishaw added: “If I keep knocking on the door then I think the trophies will follow. Ronnie O’Sullivan is an inspiration because he is still winning the big tournaments at his age so hopefully I can do the same.”

The top 16 seeded players will all compete at the venue and that could include the likes of Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, defending champion Luca Brecel and World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Tickets will go on sale on Monday June 27th with a SPECIAL OPENING OFFER of 20% off tickets for the first four days of the event from November 28 to December 1. For details visit www.wst.tv/tickets

In all there will be over 70 players in the field, with all tour players outside the top 16 to go through a qualifying round, to be staged in October.  The Scottish Open is one of the season’s Home Nations Series, alongside the Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open. 

Last year the tournament was staged in Wales as WST was unable to host the event at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where it took place from 2016 to 2019.

WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We know how disappointed the Scottish fans and players were to miss out on a tournament in their homeland last year, so we are extremely pleased to move the event to Edinburgh this time.

“It’s a new venue for this superb event and we’re excited about bringing snooker to this top-class facility in the Scottish capital. There is such a rich history of great snooker players from Scotland and we know the fans love our sport. This is their chance to get behind their heroes and experience a live event of the highest quality.”

Donald Goldsmith, Manager at the new Meadowbank Sports Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the Scottish Open at the newly refurbished Meadowbank Sports Centre.

“Meadowbank has been an important part of Scotland’s sporting history for many years and our new Centre will build on this legacy. Snooker fans will be greeted with the warm Edinburgh Leisure welcome that we are renowned for.”

Finishing line in sight as Meadowbank Sports Centre announces opening date

The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure have announced that the new Meadowbank Sports Centre will open to the public on Tuesday 19th July.  

The new £47m project is a state-of-the-art community sports facility built on the site of the original Meadowbank, which closed in December 2017. The centre will support physical activity, sport, health, and wellbeing in Edinburgh for generations to come, whilst also recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank. 

The new venue supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities with two multi-sport halls with seating, gym with triple the number of exercise stations and three large fitness studios.

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: I’m delighted that we can now confirm when the doors for this fantastic new venue will open to the public.

“Meadowbank, I believe, is one of the country’s top community sports centres, and features some of the most state-of-the-art fitness facilities in Britain. I very much look forward to seeing it bustling with sporting activity through the wide range of activities and classes.

“Participation and accessibility is at the heart of the Centre and the huge physical, mental and social benefits Meadowbank will bring to generations of local people simply can’t be overestimated.

“Bright welcoming spaces are flooded with natural light, providing welcoming and versatile halls, where a real variety of sports and activities will take place. Meadowbank has been an important part of Scotland’s sporting history for many years and I’m sure the new Centre will build on this legacy.”

Commenting on the announcement, Edinburgh Leisure’s Chief Executive, June Peebles, said: “I’m delighted that the finishing line is in sight, and we are finally able to announce the opening of this new flagship venue. It’s been a long time coming but I promise you it will have been worth the wait.

“The forthcoming weeks before we open, will see Donald Goldsmith, the manager at Meadowbank, and his team getting the venue cleaned, prepped and ready for our public opening, including an extensive staff training programme to ensure that when the public walk through our doors for the first time that they get the Edinburgh Leisure welcome we are renowned for.

“The new Meadowbank will pick up where the old Meadowbank left off, providing countless opportunities for generations to come to participate in an extensive range of activities. New memories will be created, and we can’t wait to welcome the people of Edinburgh and beyond, into the new venue.

“This multi-million-pound investment will provide countless opportunities for Edinburgh citizens to be active and will undoubtedly contribute to the wellbeing of our City.”

The new Meadowbank has much to offer the local community and communities throughout Edinburgh and includes the following facilities:

  • An outdoor eight-lane athletics track with a 499-seat stand and outdoor throwing and jumps areas
  • A 60m six-lane indoor athletics track and jumps space
  • Two multi-sport halls with fixed and moveable spectator seating
  • A hall for trampolining and dance
  • Two fitness studios, which include world-renowned Les Mills programme of classes, smart tech bars and weights
  • A gym with Life Fitness equipment, dumbbells up to 50kg, Watt bikes, SkiErg, row and Cybex SPARC machines
  • A Cycle Studio with Life Fitness IC7 bikes and ICG myride and Les Mills RPM classes
  • Two squash courts
  • A combat studio for martial arts
  • A boxing gym
  • Two 3G (synthetic) pitches, including one with a 499-seat stand
  • A hospitality suite and event-hosting facilities
  • Cafe and meeting rooms

More detailed plans about opening times and how to buy memberships will be announced on Edinburgh Leisure’s website and social media in the coming weeks.

Nominations open for the Wall of Honour at new Meadowbank

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.”

Nominations can be made online through the Council’s Consultation Hub and must be received no later than Friday 26 November 2021.