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: paul@ymcaedinburgh.com
YMCA Play
YMCA Edinburgh offers free, supervised play sessions for primary-aged children and young people in Leith. Our sessions provide safe, welcoming spaces for children to play, be active, make friends, and take part in a range of fun activities.
We currently run two weekly play sessions during term time:
Outdoor Play Rangers @ Cables Wynd House
Tuesdays | 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Meet at the Children’s Play Park at Cables Wynd House
Our Play Rangers session takes place outdoors around Cables Wynd House for residents and other local young people. The session focuses on child-led play, giving children the opportunity to explore, create, be active, and shape activities based on their own interests and ideas.
Friday Play @ Duncan Place Resource Centre & Leith Links
Fridays | 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Meet at Duncan Place Resource Centre
Our Friday afternoon session is based at Duncan Place Resource Centre and also makes use of the outdoor spaces at Leith Links. Young people can take part in a variety of games, sports, creative activities, and group play both indoors and outdoors.
Nataliia, our Ukrainian Play Worker, supports both weekly sessions and can help children and families where language support may be helpful.
Please note: YMCA Play sessions are not a registered childcare service, and parents/carers may need to be available to collect their child if required. While sessions are free to attend, we would appreciate parents/carers contacting us in advance if their child plans to join.
For more information, please contact
Paul Scott
Phone: 07754 475 923 Email: paul@ymcaedinburgh.com
Or if communicating in Ukrainian is easier, contact: nataliia@ymcaedinburgh.com
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:
Dawn Munro
Phone: 07936 928805 Email: dawn@ymcaedinburgh.com
Click to Learn More
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.
Friday Night Lights
Our weekly Friday evening youth work and sports session for young people aged 10+.
The group provides positive, diversionary activities and pathways to other supports for young people at-risk of being involved in anti-social behaviour.
Delivered in partnership with the Community Sports Hub, Pilmeny Development Project and Community Police.
Our worker also provides regular schools based support in Leith Academy, strengthening relationships and the supportive scaffolding around young people.
Friday Night Lights is part of our Early Intervention Collective
To find out more or make a referral …
Email: jane@ymcaedinburgh.com
Phone: 07715 208528
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