The Spartans Community Football Academy

Around 150 children, from 6 x P1-P3 aged classes, attended coaching sessions lead by Academy Community Coaches at Forthview PS on Monday, as part of the school’s Health Week.

The Academy is delighted to host both the Scotland U20 Rugby National squad and Edinburgh Rugby Development Squad today, sessions lead by Peter Wright and Andy Robinson respectively.

The Spartans family has donated >50 christmas presents to our local and nearby ‘Life-House’, run and managed by the Salvation Army for homeless people.  Our thanks to everyone who donated a present, also a special ‘thank you’ to Alexis Lockhart who co-ordinated the appeal on behalf of the Academy and wrapped up all the presents.

The Academy helped to facilitate the inter-house football tournament for P6/P7 aged children at Craigroyston Primary School today.  Teams competed to win extra points in areas such as teamwork, giving encouragement and sportsmanship.

Granton PS football team took time out earlier this week to visit and say thanks to the residents of Sir James Mckay House for their £ support, enabling the Academy to manage the team on match day, kit the team out with new strips and deliver weekly coaching sessions.  The children and old people alike had a great time, exchanging stories, making christmas cards and playing bingo.  As an added surprise all the children received a  christmas present from the residents.

28 x p3 aged children from Craigroyston Primary School graduated on our Spartans Smilers oral health programme on Monday, taking the number of children who have taken part in the programme now to >400.

The Academy is hosting 2 major events today, our latest Girls open day - a girl’s festival with teams from Spartans, Hutchison Vale, Musselburgh Windsor and Murieston all taking part.  This is followed at 2pm with the Academy hosting an East of Scotland cup final for the 1st time – the Image Printers Cup Final between Whitehill Welfare and Edinburgh City.

Sandy Batho, winner of our recent car raffle, popped down to collect his brand new Renault Clio yesterday. Sandy is pictured left collecting the keys to his new car from Academy Football D.O. Debbi McCulloch.  Thanks again to everyone who took part in the raffle.

Starting on 8th December, Craigroyston PS is hosting a Save the Children FAST programme aimed at 3-8 year olds (initially over a 9 week period).  The FAST programme aims to support and assist 40 families per school, per programme.  The Academy has signed up as a Community Partner and will help with the delivery of the after school kids play time activity sessions.

The draw for the Academy car raffle was made on Sunday 20th November.  1st prize of a Renault Clio was won by Sandy Batho, 2nd prize (Gleneagles break) by Douglas Brown, 3rd prize (Scottish Cup final tickets) by Fred Webb, and lastly 4th prize (Spartans season tickets) by Keith Macleod.  The Academy would like to thank everyone who bought a ticket, the monies raised will go towards financing the delivery of our various community programmes, such as our School Visit Programme and Spartans Smilers.