In September this year, our young people held a successful Art Exhibition at the arts venue Out Of The Blue Drill Hall. At the opening event of CREATE TO ESCAPE, the young people sold prints of their artwork and raised just over £600 for for the charity Turn The Tables DJ, which offers workshops to improve mental health for those affected by homelessness.
Following on from the success, there will be an ART POP UP SHOP & DJ evening where some of our young people will be doing a DJ set, demonstrating the fantastic work they have been doing with their Music teacher Hope, here at the Alternative School. There will also be a chance to purchase some of the incredible Artwork by young people.
Wednesday 13.12.23 5-6:30pm
Spartans at 94 Pilton Drive, upstairs in the Robinson Trust Suite
Please come along and support our young people in their final fundraising effort for this worthwhile charity which they chose to support!
The Trustees of the Spartans Community Foundation are thrilled to announce the appointment of Debbi McCulloch as its new Chief Executive Officer, after a UK wide recruitment process run by Executive Search firm FWB.
Debbi will bring exceptional leadership, passion and dedication to the role, building on the Foundation’s reputation as both an innovator and leader in delivering social impact through sport and physical activity.
Debbi has been a highly valued member of the Spartans Community Foundation leadership team for the last 15 years. Her commitment to the vision and values of the Foundation has been exemplary.
Debbi is delighted: “Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to Dougie for his leadership, support, friendship and passion over the past 15 years.
He has been a daily inspiration to us all, and has driven the Foundation’s strategy, success, and social impact to an incomparable level. For the difference you have made to so many people’s lives, and for the kind, thoughtful way you have done so, thank you.
“For myself, the opportunity to lead an organisation whose work is pivotal to changing people’s lives, is a tremendous privilege and honour. Over the past 15 years I have lived and worked in North Edinburgh.
“As we continue to help others, in whatever meaningful and relevant way we can, I am committed to making our local community a better place to work, live and thrive in. I look forward to working in partnership with the many fabulous people and organisations who share our passion for addressing and responding to the significant challenges we face as a society.”
Debbi is succeeding Douglas Samuel, whose contribution to the Foundation over the last 17 years has been immeasurable.
Douglas has been the embodiment of all that the Foundation seeks to achieve, and an inspiration to us all. We were delighted when his contribution was recognised with an MBE in 2022. We are also delighted that he will act as a consultant to the Foundation going forward.
Douglas said: “Coming from North Edinburgh, it’s been such a wonderful honour and privilege to be a part of the Foundation’s journey since it was formed in 2006. Not everyone gets to do their dream job.
“Being CEO has been just that, my dream job filled with so much love, joy and lots of special lifelong memories. It’s also a job which has given me so much. I have been lucky enough to meet and work with so many amazing and truly inspiring people from all over the world.
“To all the ‘blue coats’ and volunteers, I’d like to say a huge thank you to you for helping us to create a safe space, a ‘social home’ where people from all ages and backgrounds are truly welcome and can be themselves.
“I’d also like to give a special word of thanks to Craig Graham for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his dream. I’ll always be forever grateful and indebted to him. Lastly, huge congratulations to Debbi on her appointment, I can’t think of anyone else more suited and/or I’d rather see leading the Foundation going forward. Dream Big, Dream Fierce, always.”
Chairman Craig Graham concluded: “We owe Douglas a massive thank you. He has been the critical driving force behind our success.
“His input has made a massive difference to the lives of so many in North Edinburgh and it’s fantastic that he will continue to support Debbi, myself and the wider Spartans team in an advisory role.
“Debbi has been instrumental in our growth over the last 15 years and I am absolutely convinced that under her leadership the Foundation will deliver even greater social impact in our community in the years to come.
“Please join me in wishing Debbi all the best in her new role.”
The next generation of football players are set to benefit from a £3 Million programme aimed at improving clubhouse facilities as Spartans Community Foundation, home of Spartans FC at Ainslie Park, becomes the latest to receive support from Howdens and The Scottish FA.
Spartans FC was named as one of 450 lucky clubs to receive a state-of-the-art kitchen as part of the Howdens Game Changer Programme which was launched earlier this year with an aim to support grassroots football with improved clubhouse facilities, to bring local communities closer together.
Home to the Spartans Men’s, Women’s, under 20’s, National performance teams and 29 youth teams, the Foundation was chosen due to its commitment to make a difference in the local area. Under the umbrella of the Spartans family, the site also hosts the largest para-football section in Scotland, Spartans Connections.
In addition to their football development delivery, Spartans Community Foundation, the charitable arm of Spartans FC, provides free meals to everyone within their education and youth programmes.
Whilst bringing communities closer together, the pioneering programme will also play a vital role in enabling the club’s charitable arm to provide the much-needed facilities to people in North Edinburgh, so the club continues to thrive.
Daniel Gerrard, Commercial and Partnerships Manager at Spartans Community Foundation said: “Pilton in Edinburgh is home to some of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK and food poverty is still a big issue here.
“For some children, their school meal is often the main meal of the day. With our new kitchen from Howdens, we will be able to continue supporting those children when they’re not at school with our weekend FooTea, Breakfast clubs and fun-fuelled holiday clubs.
“Spartans Community Foundation not only supports football and para football teams, but the wider community too. Our motto is ‘here for good’ and we exist to make a positive impact in North Edinburgh.
“Our programme’s focus is on education, youth work, physical and mental well-being with a host of activities taking place throughout the week. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has caused increasing demand for our services and is one of the reasons we always provide a nutritious meal at every one of our clubs.
“The new kitchen from Howdens will be a real boost, it will allow us to keep up with demand and to continue providing meals for all who need them.”
Miller Gillespie, Depot Manager, Howdens Edinburgh, added: “An important part of what we do at Howdens is aiming to make a positive impact on local communities, which is why we are delighted to be able to support Spartans Community Foundation.
“There is a lot of attention on grassroots football and what happens on the pitch, but we believe that the off-pitch facilities are just as important. Clubhouses are often the hub of the community, which is why we’re incredibly excited to see the new installation once it’s complete and how it will benefit the club.”
The installation work is due to start later this year so everyone can benefit from the brand-new kitchen this season.
The Howdens Game Changer programme was launched earlier this year by football legend Julie Fleeting, MBE, who lent her support by driving home the importance of grassroots football and clubhouse facilities on her own career.
With depots all over the country, Howdens carries one of the largest in-stock ranges in the UK across kitchens, flooring, joinery, and hardware, so that products are readily available, and projects of any size can be completed without delay.
To find out more about Howdens products visit www.howdens.com
