Playscheme

Throughout the school holidays we provide Holiday Playschemes for local Primary aged children. Sessions take place Tues-Thu each week and spaces are limited due to demand for the service. The project helps provide respite to families and fun social and learning opportunities to kids.

Spaces are by referral (from schools, voluntary sector organisations, social work and other professionals involved in the life of a child) and typically children can receive 5 weeks of provision in a year (1 week in February, 1 week in Easter, 2 weeks in summer and 1 week in October break)

Playscheme Criteria:
To be able to attend children and families should meet two of the following criteria: 

  • Children aged 5-10 
  • Receiving free school meals or benefits
  • Single parent household
  • Receiving support from Children or Family Agency

For more information please contact

Paul Scott

Phone: 07754 475 923 Email: [email protected]

YMCA Play & Ukrainian Support

YMCA Play services offer free, supervised play for Primary aged children in Leith. The services initially were set up for children living in and around Cables Wynd House. In 2023 we were pleased to receive funding from the People’s Postcode Trust to expand services, specifically to welcome in young people from Ukraine who are here in Leith following the war. We run 2 sessions a week during term time and our Ukrainian Play Worker, Nataliia, is at both sessions to help with any language barriers participants from Ukraine may face.

For more information please contact

Paul Scott

Phone: 07754 475 923 Email: [email protected]

Or if communicating in Ukrainian is easier, contact: [email protected] 

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Friday Play @ Leith Academy

On Fridays we offer an outdoor play & activity session from Leith Academy. Children can meet at the Play Park at Leith Links at 12:30pm or go straight to Leith Academy main entrance for 1pm,  staff are present at both sites and for those meeting at Leith Links, will supervise a brief play in the park before taking them over to Leith Academy.

At Leith Academy we have access to indoor and outdoor space for games & activities, with a variety of different inputs offered from Judo tasters to dancing & drumming. 

The session finishes at 2:30pm with parents/carers collecting kids from Leith Academy main entrance.

Please note, Play sessions are not a registered childcare service and parents may need to be available to come back and collect their child as required.

Girls Wellbeing Groups

Delivered in partnership with Pilmeny Development Project (PDP) we offer 2 weekly wellbeing group for girls aged 8-12 and 12-14 in Leith. The groups are supportive and safe spaces to build friendships and take part in sessions around emotional and physical health and wellbeing. This happens through both sessions in PDP/YMCA and a number of trips throughout the year. 

For further information including discussing making a referral please contact:

Rebecca Dye

Phone: 07715 208528 Email: [email protected]

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The groups meet on  Monday’s and Thursday’s. Spaces are referral based and both groups can also link girls into 1:1 Mentoring support or counselling for those who would benefit from this and where helpful family support to parents.  

The Girls Wellbeing Groups are part of a wider Mental Health Partnership in Leith, led by The Junction and including Citadel, Ripple Project, Multi-Cultural Family Base, PDP, YMCA and Miricyl. 

Street Soccer

YMCA Edinburgh provides youth work support to the popular Street Soccer football session at Leith Community Centre on Friday evenings for secondary aged young people. 

Part of a long standing partnership with Street Soccer Scotland, a youth worker supports the football session to build relationships with the young people and help identify and access other services in response to people’s needs. 

The session takes place on Friday evenings at Leith Community Centre and will resume when the school term starts back.  

To find out more about Street Soccer, contact:

Robbie Wood, Regional Manager Edinburgh 

Phone: 07480 979919

Email: [email protected]