Leith Links Activity Park

Group / Organisation

Leith Links Activity Park

Contact person

Evie Murray & Gordon Carmichael

Email address

leithlinksactivitypark@gmail.com

Brief description of your plan (please make clear of this includes the area and the building , or just the building or just the outside area. How will this benefit the local community?

The old bowling green area of Leith Links park has fallen into disrepair. This has caused local upset as antisocial behaviour has increased. The community has had a desire to make some positive change to the area, in order to regenerate and bring back into popular use. Therefore, several local organisations and individuals have come together to propose this project:
Leith Skate DIY
Earth in Common
Skateboard Scotland
Gordon Carmichael
David Mckean - Local BMXer?

We believe that there is a lack of healthy outdoor recreational facilities to support the Scottish Government goal of halving childhood obesity by 2030. This is particularly damaging for our youngsters and can lead to anti-social and self-damaging behaviours. This issue is particularly acute for adolescents and has been identified by the Scottish Government who have targeted a 50% drop in childhood obesity by 2030

As responsible local citizens, we think the direct and indirect benefits for everyone of Leith Links Activity Park (LLAP) would be significant, and we trust you will agree with us.

This project, together with the adjacent Leith Community Croft, will demonstrate how communities can come together to nurture their younger members and regenerate. It will be a beacon and example of which Leith can be truly proud.

What special expertise / skills / person-power can you back up your plan with?

With the support of the community, we have transformed an adjacent piece of land from wasteland to a thriving multi-purpose community resource, known as Leith Community Croft. We have extensive experience in setting up and managing community-based projects, which includes fundraising, establishing infrastructure and building community support, as well as running activities for youngsters. We see Leith Links Activity Park as being complementary to our work to date and we shall support it to the best of our ability.

Local dad with connections to local schools, nurseries, community groups and sports clubs. Graphic design professional with digital and marketing skills. Likes to be active in lots of ways.

Local BMX rider with 15 years of riding under my belt. I am very integrated in the local Edinburgh and wider Scottish BMX community. I am able to engage with the local BMX community to cultivate interest and engagement. Personally I am interested in the project due to the overcrowding at Saughton and the other facilities, in addition to the long commute times for those in leith to them. Outside of BMX I am a data analyst/scientist by day so I hope to be able to bring some of these skills to this project.

Have you got / how would you plan to source funding in order to implement this proposal?