Sport – Page 55 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Work starts on Drylaw skatepark

‘This skatepark is an excellent asset for the local community and I hope that it will encourage the people of Drylaw, and further afield, to become more active’ – Sarah Robertson, sportscotland

This week sees construction commence on a new £200,000 skatepark in Easter Drylaw Park.

The new skatepark is the result of a collaborative project between the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and local community organisations to develop, fund and deliver a new skatepark in Easter Drylaw Park.

The project was initiated by young people from the local community and was then taken forward via consultation and first stage funding for the development of a feasibility study, by the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, closely supported by the local community council, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and sportscotland

The inspiration for the project came from the citywide skate park created in Saughton Park which has shown how successful a skatepark can be, and which has led to calls for a more local and convenient facility in the north of the city.

The new facility has received funding from Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and the City of Edinburgh Council and secured £100,000 match funding from the Scottish Government’s Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.

The Greenspace Trust (ELGT) has overseen the project management of the skatepark since planning permission was granted in early 2013, and has taken the lead in developing and securing funding to ensure the delivery of the project for the community. The final elements of funding were secured by ELGT earlier this year and the construction put out to tender in the summer. With the final design elements agreed, and necessary planning conditions met, such as drainage, work can now start.

50% of the costs of the skatepark are being met by an award from the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund. The £10 million Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund has enable communities across Scotland to benefit from the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, by providing more and better opportunities to be active.

Sarah Robertson, Project Manager from sportscotland, said: “The new Drylaw skatepark is a fantastic example of what can be achieved by various organisations investing resources and working together and we are delighted to have invested £100,000 from the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.

“Together with our partners, sportscotland are committed to building and supporting the development of a world-class sporting system at all levels, and this project will provide a great facility which will be available for the whole of the community to use.

“This skatepark is an excellent asset for the local community and I hope that it will encourage the people of Drylaw, and further afield, to become more active”.

The match funding is from Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and City of Edinburgh Council -Culture and Sport. The new skatepark helps deliver the Neighbourhood Partnership’s key priorities of engaging young people, increased opportunities for physical activity and encouraging better use of green spaces.

Local Inverleith councillor Lesley Hinds, who chairs the skatepark working group, said: “I am pleased the Drylaw Skatepark work has started. It has been a long road to get to this point and credit is due to the young people and local organisations who have worked tirelessly to make sure this project happened.”

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) works across Edinburgh and the Lothians to create, improve and promote parks and greenspaces, and to provide opportunities for communities to be more active for leisure and travel.

Ross Woodside, ELGT’s Projects Manager, said: “We are pleased that the much-anticipated skatepark has reached the construction stage. We are confident that it will be a well-used local asset and make real contribution to more sporting opportunities in the area.”

The park is being designed and built by Freestyle Skateparks, the UK’s oldest and largest skatepark design-and-build company. Construction is scheduled to last around ten weeks.

City gets set to welcome top cyclists

Edinburgh hosts Stage Four of the Aviva Tour of Britain cycling race on Wednesday. Cyclists will travel 218km from the Scottish capital to Blyth, Northumberland (see route), leaving the city at 10am.

Cyclists will face a spectacular journey through the heart of the city, starting in Holyrood Park, winding past the Scottish Parliament and up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle.

The race will descend Johnston Terrace and travel through the Meadows before passing Arthur’s Seat and heading out of the city. After leaving Edinburgh, the race will move on to East Lothian.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Festivals and Events Champion, said: “This will be the first time in history that the UK’s most prestigious cycling race traces the winding streets of the Scottish Capital to launch the event north of the border. It’s going to be a spectacular sight!

“As the starting point and host city of the Scottish stage and with the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyrood House and ancient volcano Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh is the place to be to experience the thrill of the Tour of Britain.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland said: “Scotland is gearing up to welcome the Aviva Tour of Britain and the top international cyclists and enthusiasts it brings with it from around the world.

“Scotland is the perfect stage for events with a global reputation for cycling and I’m certain the stages unveiled today will offer up some of Scotland’s most iconic and picturesque locations as a backdrop across the handlebars, as well as a fantastic spectator experience for all ages.”

Chief Executive for Scottish Cycling Craig Burn added: “Scottish Cycling is continuing to see an upsurge in interest in all areas of cycling. The Aviva Tour of Britain is a great showcase for cycling in Scotland and the hard work of the daily activities of our 178 clubs and the 600 plus events staged annually by our clubs and members.”

The Aviva Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step.

Over twenty of the world’s top teams are taking part in the competition. Heading the lineup in Edinburgh for the event is Dutch cycling champion Dylan Van Baarle, who returns to the Tour of Britain to defend his title.

The Dutchman won the 2014 edition of Britain’s biggest bike race, snatching victory from Michal Kwiatkowski and Sir Bradley Wiggins. He will wear the #1 at the head of the six rider Team Cannondale Garmin line-up

Another confirmed participant is 2009 Champion Edvald Boasson Hagen who will lead the MTN Qhubeka p/b Samsung team, which also includes 2013 stage winner Gerald Ciolek.

Team Sky’s versatile Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (above) timed a late challenge to absolute perfection when he pipped Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel to win the opening stage of the Aviva Tour of Britain in a dramatic finish in Wrexham yesterday.

The race moves on from Clitheroe to Colne in the Ribble Valley today and Stage Three will see the cyclists battle it out in The Borders tomorrow. Then on Wednesday, it’s Edinburgh: it promises to be quite a sight – don’t miss it!

Follow news of the Edinburgh event on Twitter using #TOBEdinburgh.

Free walking and cycling festival at Inverleith Park

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership presents:

Inverleith On Foot and By Bike

Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun, try new things, get out and about in fresh air, win some great prizes and get fitter!

Sunday 13 September in Inverleith Park, 2.30-5.30.

Finalé of the event is the live screening of the Tour De Britain. Come watch it on large screen in our bike powered cinema!

More info here.

Anyone for tennis in Trinity?

Partnership serves up new free sports facilities

Councillor Lesley Hinds opened new tennis courts and a basketball court in Victoria Park yesterday. The Environment Convener was joined by Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn and Culture & Sport Convener Councillor Richard Lewis to open the new sports facilities, which came about following a consultation organised by Trinity Community Council.

Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “We have many wonderful parks and green spaces throughout the city and Victoria Park is a fantastic example of an excellent outdoor space that is enjoyed by the whole community.

“The consultation showed us that there is demand for free local sports facilities so the opening of these new tennis and basketball courts is great news. I hope it will encourage even more people to make the most of this beautiful park.”

The new courts are thanks to a £95,000 investment jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Sportscotland via the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund.

A community consultation found that some local residents were discouraged from using local sports facilities due to financial barriers and that there was a lack of quality free sports provision in the area. The results of the consultation led to the development of the courts, which will also benefit the three schools located nearby, Trinity Academy, Trinity Primary and Holy Cross Primary.

Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis, said: “I am delighted that these new facilities are now open and the fact that they are free and accessible to everyone makes them an excellent resource for the community.

“A key priority for the Council is to provide more opportunities for people to get active and encourage greater participation in sports as part of healthy lifestyle. The new courts will help us to achieve this and will be a real asset for local people of all ages.”

Victoria Park was first awarded a Green Flag in 2011 and forms part of the North Edinburgh Cycle Network, National Cycle Network and North Sea Route.

Stars head North for roller derby showdown

Saturday’s second and final Edinburgh Fringe roller derby game, hosted by Auld Reekie Roller Girls, will be a stellar all-Northern all star line-up (writes Lucy Glennie).

Fabulous skaters from teams across Scotland and northern England will pit their speed, stamina and agility against each other to determine the victor.

The two all-female teams will each field a jammer, who will strive to get past four opposing blockers to score points. The teams will aim to outwit, out sprint and hit their opponents out of play using only the power of their bodies and minds.

This Saturday’s game comes hot on the heels of Auld Reekie’s All Star Reserves’ incendiary head-to-head against Glasgow Roller Derby’s Maiden Grrders on 8 August. Active Edinburgh’s sponsorship of the first Fringe game really helped things go with a bang!

The next game will be a special evening event, building on the excitement of the last, with a stadium full of fans and a licensed bar. This is an inclusive, family-friendly event celebrating strength, teamwork and friendship for young and old, regular and brand new fans.

All welcome at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh on Saturday 15 August, 7 – 9.30pm.

Tay-riffic fun at Youth Work Games!

Muirhouse Youth Development Group’s (MYDG) fourth annual youth work games took place on 14th & 15th July, bringing teams of young people, staff and volunteers from across North Edinburgh and Aberfeldy to compete in the decathlon event at the headquarters of Wildfox events, on the banks of Loch Tay (writes KATIE TUFF).

This event brings together youth organisations who may not necessarily work together on a regular basis, to show teamwork, companionship and friendship through the events and social interactions. Creating opportunities for young people to get involved in sport and exercise in a unique but inclusive way.

This year was the biggest yet with 13 teams competing for the sought after youth work games trophy. The ten events took place over the two days by the banks of Loch Tay, which was a beautiful setting for the first event, the cross country run, followed by the tandem bike ride race and finishing off the day in wetsuits with a swim and canoe on the Loch.

MYAdventure were working in partnership with MYDG , taking the lead on some of the events and were part of the staff team. Both Leaders and young people gave it their all to get points for their teams with some friendly competition and great participation from everyone.

As evening set on the athletes village, we were joined by the Dancing Feet Ceilidh band who gave a great night of live music with leaders and young people dancing around the marquee to some old Scottish classics, and learning some new moves (some a bit confusing!), culminating in everyone getting involved for a final rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to finish off the night.

The second day was welcomed with beautiful sunshine and some tired but enthusiastic young people raring to get going. The Swamp football tournament kicked off the day’s events, accompanied by archery, tree climb, tug of war and long jump all leading up to our final and most anticipated event, the assault course.

This year we had Perth and District YMCA Ybounce bring along their inflatable assault course and slide. The assault course had everyone getting involved ending in a youth leaders vs. youth work games staff showdown. This proved to be the favourite amongst all the events.

The prize giving ceremony was next on the agenda with most teams receiving medals. This year our Youth Work Games trophy winners and overall champions were Kids in the Street from Craigmillar ,who annihilated any competition by winning most medals and scoring an impressive 25 points over the two days! Granton Youth Centre came second with 12 points and the Breathe project from Aberfeldy third with 10 points. Rowlands from Selkirk were the recipients of the Sportsmanship award for showing enthusiasm, teamwork and all round good spirit for the event.

This year we received funding from the North Edinburgh Partnership to run the event, without which it would not have taken place to the level that it did. It was great to see so much enthusiasm and excitement around the event, with young people coming together, getting to know each other and work as part of a team.

It is our hope that the experience can be looked back on and the skills learned can be transferable back in the youth organisations after the event. A huge well done and thank you goes to everyone involved!

Plans are now being set for Youth Work Games 2016 for a bigger and better event, if you are interested in hearing more or want to book up for next year, please contact MYDG office on 0131 332 3356.

Katie Tuff, Muirhouse Youth Development Group

It’s official: Memorial match at Spartans sets new world record

Craig Gowans memorial match smashes world record

The team behind the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund have officially become Guinness World Record Holders, smashing the record for the Longest Marathon Playing Football – in aid of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

The group of enthusiastic football fans played out of their skin at The Spartans Ainslie Park home last month, completing a 105 hour-long football match which finished with an impressive final score of 774 – 707!

The game, hosted in memory of the late Falkirk defender Craig Gowans, who tragically died exactly ten years previously, originally hoped to raise £37,000 for the SKFF – inspired by Craig’s professional number at Falkirk, number 37. With donations still coming in, however, the final total is set to reach around £100,000!

The money raised will be used by the Sick Kids Friends Foundation to fund enhancements to the new Sick Kids hospital at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France, specifically a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room in Craig’s name. The space will be a calming room with multi-sensory equipment providing a relaxing and stimulating space for children with sensory impairments.

Ex-Rangers, Hibernain and Scotland boss, Alex McLeish attended the landmark fundraising event, as well as the current Scottish Cup holding manager, John Hughes. Footballers Scott Arfield and Thomas Scobbie were also there to cheer the players on.

Dario Alonzi, a member of the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund organising committee, said: “We’re over the moon to have been officially granted Guinness World Record Holder status – the football match itself was an epic challenge and one that pushed us all to the very limit.

“To come away from the experience with official recognition of our efforts in the form of a World Record, as well as putting Craig’s name in the history books and raising £100,000 to gift to the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, is just priceless.

“Again I would like to thank absolutely everyone who played a part in making this match possible, as well as everyone who has donated so generously.”

Roslyn Neely, chief executive of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: “We have been blown away by the funds raised by the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund Football Match. The heroic lengths they have gone to in order to raise this money is something that will never be forgotten.

“Congratulations to the entire team, I’m absolutely delighted to hear that they have become official Guinness World Record Holders – and deservedly so. The money they have raised will help us transform the experience of the young people who visit Edinburgh’s new children’s hospital when it opens its doors in 2017.”

Gold medallist joins judging panel for Summer of Sport

Commonwealth Judo Gold Medallist Sarah Clark will judge the Scottish applications for this year’s Miller Homes Summer of Sport competition.

Now in its fourth year, Summer of Sport is giving local sports clubs across Miller Homes developments a chance of receiving a cash boost by taking part in the competition, which could see them win £500 or, for the first time, pick up a top prize of £1,000.

To take part, entrants have to say in no more than 200 words why their sports club is worthy of winning, how the money will benefit the club and what it will be spent on.

Neil Gaffney, Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have Scottish Judo Champion Sarah Clark on board with us to judge the entries for Summer of Sport. Sarah’s judo career has been inspirational and was topped off when she picked up the Gold medal in Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games last year. Her insights and enthusiasm will be a welcome addition to the judging process.

“Over the last few years we’ve been delighted with the success of our Summer of Sport competition and particularly the impact receiving the prize money has had on the winning clubs.

“We have been really impressed with the diversity and standard of entries from those clubs who’ve taken part previously. As a result we will be extending our support this year for those in our communities who are providing opportunities for sport, education and development by awarding an overall prize of £1,000 to one of our six regional winners.

“We strongly encourage anyone with an affiliation to a sports team or club to have a go, and wish all entrants the very best of luck.”

Commonwealth Gold medallist Sarah Clark said: “Coming from a small local club, as many of the entrants to the competition will be, I know first hand how important it is to have the right equipment and access to regular training. The Summer of Sport competition is an excellent way of supporting local clubs and I’m looking forward to receiving entries for this year’s competition. I am sure it will be a tough challenge to select a winner.”

Competition judges will assess the entries on a variety of factors, including how the money will be used and how it will directly support the development and fitness of its members.

Details of the initiative have been distributed at a local level among sports clubs and associations; however community leaders and club managers can also pick up an entry form at any one of Miller Homes’ marketing suites across the country.

To find your nearest Miller Homes development, please visit the Miller Homes website. Closing date for entries is Wednesday 31 August. Terms and conditions apply.

Miller Homes operates in the following six regional areas: Scotland, North West of England, North East of England, Yorkshire, The Midlands, and Southern.

In memory of Frankie

Charity match will raise funds for local youth project

In 2005, Frank McEwan, a local Pilton lad in his twenties, tragically died of cancer. It is a tribute to his vibrant personality that, ten years on, several of his friends wish to pay tribute to him.

Frank, known as Frankie to his friends, was a keen and gifted footballer who played for West Pilton Albion FC. It is therefore fitting that the tribute is in the form of a football match – West Pilton Albion Veterans v Lauriston Thistle.

This will take place at East Pilton Park on Saturday 1 August, kick off 2 pm. As well as the match itself, there will be other attractions like Beat the Goalie, Spot the Ball and a raffle with some excellent prizes generously donated by local businesses. Refreshments will also be served.

As well as a fitting way to honour Frankie’s life, this should prove a really good community event. All proceeds will be donated to Pilton Youth and Children’s Project, which works tirelessly to improve life for local young people and is a cause his friends have no doubt Frankie would have approved of.

More information can be found on Facebook page – Frank McEwan Memorial Match. Come along and have a good afternoon out, but if unable to attend, donations can be made directly to Pilton Youth and Childrens Project, quoting “In memory of Frankie”.

Safety advice ahead of Hibs Rangers clash

Police in Edinburgh will have a robust policing operation present today to keep the public safe during the first round of the Petrofac Training Cup between Hibernian and Rangers – and fans have been warned to behave or face the consequences.

Thousands of spectators are expected at Easter Road for this afternoon’s game – which kicks off at 12.30pm – and a significant police presence will be in place to identify anyone in possession of alcohol, fireworks or flares.

Anti-social drinking in the surrounding streets will also not be tolerated and officers will be enforcing the Edinburgh by-law in this regard. In addition, police will be assisting stewards to carry out searches outside the ground to prevent illegal or prohibited items being smuggled in, including explosive or combustible materials.

Fans from both sides are urged to ensure their behaviour during the match does not put themselves or others in danger.

Chief Inspector Bob Paris said: “This is a significant fixture for both clubs and we want all supporters to enjoy the day.

“Police will be patrolling around the stadium with a focus on stopping anti-social street drinking and fans will be subject to searches as a condition of entry to the ground. Drinking on board a supporters bus to and from the match is also an offence and officers will be checking all coaches coming to the match.

“Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and while the behaviour of the vast majority of Hibs and Rangers fans is exemplary, the reckless conduct of a small minority could place others in danger.

“Anyone found to be in possession of these items, or any other objects that are not permitted within the stadium, will be refused entry and may face further police action.”