Street Soccer Scotland open training and support hub at Ocean Terminal

Street Soccer Scotland has opened ‘The Dugout’, a multi-purpose hub to provide access, training and support to people from a variety of socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

David Duke, Founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland, hopes the new space will allow the charity to extend its reach by offering a safe environment for individuals to come for help, as well as allowing them to have a greater positive impact upon those they already work with.

Based in Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre in Edinburgh, the first-of-its-kind hub will see people dropping in for a range of services and support, whether it be for a cup of tea and advice or to access courses and training. The charity also plans to engage with the many businesses located in Ocean Terminal to find opportunities for those they work with. They aim to provide the necessary workplace training, through employability partner Working Rite, to help people into employment.

The Dugout will also stock a range of Street Soccer Scotland merchandise, with a new limited-edition collection being released each quarter. Each series will focus on the charity’s intrinsic values, with the first collection focusing on ‘Hope’. All proceeds from the shop and online sales will go directly towards supporting their work.

David Duke, Founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland, hopes the new space will allow the charity to extend its reach by offering a safe environment for individuals to come for help, as well as allowing them to have a greater positive impact upon those they already work with.

David said: “The Dugout represents a hybrid space of event and learning space that has not been done before in Scotland. Since COVID has had a bad impact on retail, this space sets a model for shopping as well as advice, and people can get behind our cause through the merchandise available.

“It’s an opportunity to create something different for players but with a retail perspective, and we wanted to raise awareness for communities who are struggling, challenge stigmas and provide people for work positions. The name shows that it is a place for everything, that it is not just a shop, but space for one-to-one support and a chat. It’s an opportunity to create something different for players.”

The Dugout will be open 10:00-18:00 Monday-Friday, 10:00-16:00 Saturday, and will be closed on a Sunday. It will also become the charity’s new Head Office and a venue to host year-round partner and community events.

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