Edinburgh primary school gifted free sports pitch after Big Hearts Community Trust wins prestigious award
The new pitch was delivered in collaboratio between Big Hearts Community Trust, City of Edinburgh Council and Robertson Construction
An Edinburgh primary school has been gifted a brand new sports pitch at no cost after the Big Hearts Community Trust won a prestigious Europe-wide prize.
The new floodlit multi-sport pitch has been installed at South Morningside Primary School in the south of the city.
The project was made possible after Big Hearts, which is the official charity of Heart of Midlothian Football Club, won the ‘More Than Football’ Award in 2021 for its work with the Big Hearts Supporters Movement volunteering programme.
The prize for winning the prestigious award was a free bespoke Musco mini-pitch for a local venue.
A number of locations were considered before South Morningside Primary School was chosen, partly because of its strong football and sports culture including the award-winning girls’ football team.
Pupils previously had no dedicated pitch to play or train on, instead using an aging tarmac sports area.
However, they now have a state-of-the-art facility to encourage greater opportunities to get involved with sport throughout the year.
James Dalgleish, convenor for education, children and families at Edinburgh council, said: “This is a fantastic addition to South Morningside Primary and would not be possible without the generosity of Big Hearts Community Trust in gifting the facility they won and Robertson Construction who kindly did the work at no cost.
“It has been fantastic to see the children enjoying their new space which has been completely transformed from an old tarmac to a brand new, state of the art sports pitch. This will allow the facility to be used even in the dark and should become a real asset for the local community.”
Craig Wilson, chief executive of Big Hearts Community Trust, said: “Big Hearts’ commitment to improving young people’s wellbeing through participation in sport stretches across the whole city and this is a brilliant example of partnership in action.
“It was important for our charity to find the right venue for the Musco pitch: where it was needed and would make a difference every day. Football is already played widely at South Morningside Primary School, with their girls’ team doing brilliantly well, and parents running sessions on evenings and weekends and even more will now be possible.
“We’re genuinely thrilled that pupils are now able to enjoy a state-of-the-art sport facility without having to leave the school grounds.”
The project was worked on by Robertson Construction, which prepared drawings, guided the school through the planning process, coordinated site preparation and assisted with site management.
Supply chain partners of Robertson Construction also donated specialist services, including Malcolm Hughes Land Surveyors, AHF Construction, OCS, StopFire, and Miller Fabrications.
David Cairns, regional managing director of Robertson Construction Central East, added: “This initiative has been a true team effort, working alongside Big Hearts, City of Edinburgh Council and our supply chain partners to deliver a vibrant new sports space.
“We are committed to delivering meaningful, long-lasting benefits in the communities where we work, and we hope the pupils make the most of their new space and enjoy every minute on the pitch.”