More than £4,000 donated to basketball club by Edinburgh charity Sporting Start

The money has gone towards equipment for the club.
Garreth Lodge, Paul Macari, Leanne Page and Allana Skellet (Asst Coach) and City of Edinburgh Basketball Club Under 8s (Photo: Kevin Murray)Garreth Lodge, Paul Macari, Leanne Page and Allana Skellet (Asst Coach) and City of Edinburgh Basketball Club Under 8s (Photo: Kevin Murray)
Garreth Lodge, Paul Macari, Leanne Page and Allana Skellet (Asst Coach) and City of Edinburgh Basketball Club Under 8s (Photo: Kevin Murray)

An Edinburgh based charity has provided more than £4,000 in funding for new equipment at a city basketball club.

Sporting Start, which was founded in memory of Martin Macari, the former captain at Watsonians' Rugby who died of cancer aged 47, supports sporting initiatives across the Capital.

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The £4,200 was provided in order for City of Edinburgh Basketball Club to buy new equipment and allow the club to do vital outreach work across the city.

Leanne Page, U8 & U10 Head Coach, City of Edinburgh Basketball (Photo: Kevin Murray)Leanne Page, U8 & U10 Head Coach, City of Edinburgh Basketball (Photo: Kevin Murray)
Leanne Page, U8 & U10 Head Coach, City of Edinburgh Basketball (Photo: Kevin Murray)

Equipment including four portable hoops that can vary in height have been bought, allowing for coaches to use them at venues across the city.

Paul Macari, chair of the trustees at Sporting Start said: "Sporting Start is delighted to be supporting the City of Edinburgh Basketball Club with this new programme. The charity is all about providing opportunities for your people to take part in sport and benefit from the life skills that sport provides.

"We were very impressed at the professional approach taken by the club in developing this programme and by the enthusiasm and passion shown by the volunteer coaches.

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"Basketball was not a sport Martin played, however we are proud to see his legacy offer children within North Edinburgh the chance to try a new sport and hopefully develop a lifelong love of sport and all the benefits that brings"

Garreth Lodge, Chair of City of Edinburgh Basketball Club said: "We're incredibly grateful to everyone involved in Sporting Start for awarding our Club this funding. Their aims align perfectly with those of our club in providing participation opportunities for all in a fun and rewarding way.

"This will allow us to hopefully continue to develop the sporting and leadership talents of our young people. By doing this we believe we can make a real difference to the local communities we operate in across the City and wider.

"We've already got the new hoops up and running and look forward to taking the sport to North Edinburgh after the new year where we believe there is a great opportunity to get more kids involved in the sport and live a healthier, more active lifestyle. We hope this is the start of a long partnership with Sporting Start for our Club."