There’s lots on at The Academy – youth clubs for young people, football for women, yoga, walking football … all at no or low cost.
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
Spartans: Something for everyone
Tag: The Spartans Community Football Academy
Forthview kids to GoFitba!
Local school children from Forthview Primary School are to have the opportunity to participate in an exciting 12-week community project delivered by The Scottish Football Partnership Trust and The Spartans Community Football Academy.
GoFitba is a free to access football-based health and wellbeing project for Primary schoolchildren developed by The Scottish Football Partnership Trust and delivered by community football clubs.
The project aims to support the Curriculum for Excellence’s Health and Wellbeing outcomes as set out by The Scottish Government’s Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007.
Through a fun and progressive structure and delivery, the weekly two-hour project offers young children a platform of regular and fun physical activity and an understanding of the importance of leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle through diet and nutrition.
In addition, the project aims to increase the young people’s self-motivation, improve their self-confidence, further develop their social and interpersonal skills and improve their general self-esteem.
The project timetable provides one structured afternoon per week and takes a holistic approach to teach the children the benefits of regular physical activity within a football environment.
Starting this Friday, the youngsters participate in an hour of fun football activity, and during the second hour of each session they take part in an interactive educational journey to explore the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle through diet and nutrition. Each session ends with the children being served a hot, healthy meal and an opportunity to enjoy some social time with their peers.
Stuart McCaffrey, Chief Operating Officer at The SFP Trust said “The sport of football when used positively can act as a significant tool for personal and community development.
“We are excited to be delivering this project with (name of club) – a club truly at the heart of the community – and to be given the opportunity to positively engage with local school children to encourage them towards a healthy and active lifestyle.”
Douglas Samuel of The Spartans Community Football Academy said, “We are delighted to be working in association with The SFP Trust on this project which will see The Academy welcome 20 local schoolchildren over the next 12 weeks.
“Spartans Community Football Academy is always looking for new ways to engage with the local community and the GoFitba project is a fantastic way to showcase what we can offer to young members of our community at our excellent facilities here at the Academy.
“Participation in sport can bring a lifetime of benefits and we look forward to working with the children from Forthview Primary School to Get Fit, Get Healthy and Have Fun!”
Super Spartans – changing people’s lives
The Spartans Community Football Academy have been working with Edinburgh-based Filming Scotland to create a film showcasing the work they do in the North Edinburgh commuinity. The film premiered at Spartans fundraising dinner at the Prestonfield House Hotel recently and had a huge impact: even ex-Liverpool and Scotland hard-man Graeme Souness shed a wee tear! See for yourself …
Spartans Community Football Academy – Changing People’s Lives
Result! Super Spartans £150,000 fundraiser
A fundraising dinner and charity auction at Prestonfield House Hotel has raised an incredible £150,000 for local social enterprise The Spartans Community Football Academy.
BBC SportScotland’s Richard Gordon was Master of Ceremonies and entertainment was headlined by comedian Kevin Bridges and Graham Souness.
A few sore heads this morning no doubt but all in a good cause!
Spartans go the eggstra mile for local kids
The Spartans Community Football Academy made an ”eggstra’ special effort to ensure that no local kids go without an egg this Easter – and the result of their community appeal was more than 300 Easter eggs!
The Academy distributed the donated Easter Eggs to a number of community groups and organisations across North Edinburgh yesterday, and they would like to thank everyone who supported the appeal.
Cracking result!
(NOTE TO SELF: make that the last of the Easter yolks jokes)
NEN AGM reminder
The North Edinburgh News’ annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday 12 November at 7.30pm in The Spartans Community Football Academy’s club rooms (by Ainslie Park Leisure Centre, off Pilton Drive North).
Come along and find out what’s happening with the NEN, your community newspaper. All welcome.
Street League at Spartans
Please see our Street Football flyer which is now held at the Spartans Academy just off Ferry road. Our Street Football event is every Thursday from 1:30 – 3:30pm outside on the 5G Astroturf.
During these sessions we will try to look at different factors from different types of training such as circuit and weight training to the bleep test and fartlek training, we will also do many different fun activities from fun games to game like situation and most of all a good game of football.
There will be employability support available at the Street Football but this is only there if the individual wants it.
Sam Faichney
Youth & Community Coach
For further information email: sam.faichney@streetleague.co.ukl
Residents to fight City Park housing plans
Local residents will fight plans to build housing on City Park. A new Save City Park campaign group has been set up to challenge plans to build houses on the site off Pilton Drive North. The group says that the area needs it’s last remaining green space and could not cope with more traffic on roads and side streets.
Save City Park campaigners say that City Park – the former home of The Spartans – ‘is a vital part of Edinburgh’s landscape and heritage and plays an important role in enhancing the city’s environment. It is one of an ever decreasing number of green “lungs” in a city of ever-increasing development.’
The group says that a plans by Link Group to build a mixed-tenure housing development on the City Park site would destroy the quality and character of the local area and put even more strain on already overstretched local services.
Falkirk-based Link Group employs 400 staff and celebrates it’s 50th birthday this year. The company is ‘one of Scotland’s leading providers of housing and related services’. The organisation’s website continues: ‘The Link companies help to deliver innovative regeneration projects in partnership with local communities, including health facilities, environmental initiatives, training schemes and financial inclusion projects. We are committed to the welfare of tenants and to the principles of social justice and inclusion.’
Interested members of the public will have three different opportunities to see and hear what is being proposed for City Park at a series of consultation events over the coming fortnight. Next Wednesday (24 October) Link will have a staffed presentation from 4.30 – 7.30pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Pilton Drive North and on Thursday (25th October) the exhibition moves on to The Spartans Community Football Academy off Pilton Drive, again from 4.30 – 7.30pm.
Link representatives will also be making a presentation to Granton and District Community Council’s meeting on Monday 29 October at 7pm in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre – this meeting is open to members of the public and all are welcome to attend.
The City Park campaigners concerns are highlighted on their new website which can be found at http://savecitypark.co.uk
Has housing reached saturation point in East Pilton? Or is the need for more social and affordable housing more urgent than green space? What do you think – let us know!