Tag: The Art Offenders

North Edinburgh young people invite the community to their charity football match

Spartans Alternative School are organising a charity event we for the local community:

On Friday 2nd October 2026, we are hosting a charity football match at Spartans, with students taking on staff, and we would love to see families, young people and community groups from across North Edinburgh come along and support us.

⚽ YOUNG PEOPLE’S CHARITY FOOTBALL MATCH

Friday 2nd October 2026
Gates open: 1:00pm
Kick-off: 1:30pm
Entry: £5 per person

The event is raising money for Therapet, a charity that is particularly important to us.

We have four therapy dogs who regularly support young people at the Alternative School, and we get so much from the time we spend with them.

They provide companionship, support and positive experiences for many of us, so this year we wanted to give something back to a service that has given so much to us.

The afternoon will be family-friendly, with lots happening alongside the football:

🧁 Bake sale
🎟️ Raffle
🎉 Tombola
🍦 Ice cream
🐶 Therapy dogs
🎤 Half-time performer – to be announced
⚽ Students vs Staff football match
…and much more!

All money raised will go to Therapet.

What makes this event particularly special is that it has been planned, organised and will be delivered by us — the young people.

For the past six years, as part of our Art sessions and social enterprise work, we have organised a wide range of events, including art exhibitions at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, art pop-up shops, DJ events and previous charity football matches.

Through these events, we have raised approximately £8,000 for a variety of charities and community causes.

With support from our Art Teacher, we take responsibility for the different parts of our projects — from coming up with ideas and planning, to promotion, fundraising, activities and helping to run the events themselves.

This year, we really want to open the event up to our local community and invite the people of North Edinburgh to come along, have some fun and get behind the young people.

For us, this isn’t just about football or fundraising. It’s about young people coming together, developing skills, creating something positive and finding ways to give something back to the community that we are part of.

You can follow our social enterprise journey and see some of the work we have been doing through our Art Offenders Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/theartoffenders

We hope you might be able to help us spread the word and encourage people from across North Edinburgh to come along on 2nd October.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our project and for supporting local community stories and initiatives.

We hope to see you there!

Best wishes,

The Young People of Spartans Alternative School

GOALS 4 DEMENTIA

FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER at 2pm

A Charity Football Match by The Art Offenders & The Spartans Alternative School

Join The Art Offenders—a creative group of art students from The Spartans Alternative School in North Edinburgh—as they host their second annual charity football match in support of North Edinburgh Dementia Care (NEDC).

This youth-led initiative builds on over five years of successful fundraising, where students have raised £7,000+ for local and national charities through art exhibitions, pop-up shops, and more.

Following the success of last year’s football match, which raised £1,000+ and brought the community together, the students are making it a yearly tradition—combining sport, creativity, and community spirit to make a difference.

THE ART OFFENDERSDownload
  • Date: Friday, 26th September 2025
  • Kick-off: 2:00 PM (Gates open at 1:30 PM)
  • Location: Vanloq Community Stadium, Spartans Community Football Foundation
  • Entry: £6 (Under 16s FREE)
  • Payment: Cash & Card Accepted

⚔️ The Match

Student Team 🆚 The “Auld Team”
A face-off between students and a team of teachers and community members!

🎉 What’s On

Expect a fun-filled day for all ages, including:

  • 🎟️ Raffle prizes from The Village Gym, Chef Tom Kitchin, The Ice Cream Parlour, and more
  • 🎨 Art sale & face painting
  • 🍰 Bake sale & ice cream
  • 🎯 Tombola
  • 💦 Wet Sponge the Headteacher!
  • 🚲 FREE Dr Bike Service – Bring your bike for a check-up

💜 Why It Matters

All proceeds will go directly to North Edinburgh Dementia Care, supporting individuals and families living with dementia in North East Edinburgh.

This event is more than just a football match—it’s a celebration of youth leadership, creativity, and community action.

Proudly supported by Remarkable Dynamics and led by students through the school’s social enterprise programme, under the guidance of art teacher Sarah-Jane Henderson.

📲 Follow The Art Offenders on Instagram:
👉 @theartoffenders

Let’s come together to support an incredible cause and cheer on our young changemakers!

 🧠⚽🎨

Sponsor of the match