On Friday 4th November, the official opening of the new Meadowbank Sports Centre took place with a special ceremony today hosted by City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day.
The new £47m centre is a state-of-the-art community sports facility built on the site of the original Meadowbank, which closed in December 2017. The new Meadowbank opened its doors to the public in July this year and features a wide range of enhanced facilities and will support physical activity, sport, health and well-being in Edinburgh for generations to come.
sportscotland were proud to invest £5million of the National Lottery investment through the Sport Facilities Fund to help deliver this important project. Schools, clubs, community users and performance sport will all be able to take part in sport at their own level in a thoroughly modern, inclusive facility, right at the heart of their local community.
The new Meadowbank supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities with two multi-sport halls with seating, a gym and three large fitness studios. We are working closely with our partners to ensure that the facilities that we invest in are in the right place and will really meet the long term needs of the community, whether that’s an introduction to sport and physical activity, or supporting the aspirations of some of Scotland’s best athletes.
To coincide with the official opening, Edinburgh Leisure will be celebrating with an open weekend at the centre with free activities available from Friday 4 until Sunday 6 November 2022.
Over the weekend, there will be children’s coaching, gym, fitness classes, racquet sports, and the running track and athletics area will be available for everyone to come and try for free.
Mel Young, chair of sportscotland, said, “Meadowbank has long been at the heart of sport and physical activity in the City of Edinburgh and it’s fantastic to see that tradition continuing with the opening of this magnificent new centre.''
“At sportscotland we work closely with partners like City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure to ensure that the facilities that we invest in are in the right place and will really meet the long term needs of the community, whether that’s an introduction to sport and physical activity, or supporting the aspirations of some of Scotland’s best athletes.”
Wall of Honour
In recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank and its 50+ years of sporting history a Wall of Honour has been unveiled in the atrium featuring over 80 names.
The wall honours people who have made significant contributions to Meadowbank’s past and its legacy as a sport and community venue. The honourees have been nominated by the public in four categories: Competitive Achievements, Community Service, Professional Service and Special Contribution.
Inductees include sport heroes Chris Hoy, Lynsey Sharp, Allan Wells and Jake Wightman and sport coaches such as gymnastic coach Maggie Bissett and athletics coach Bill Walker.
Council Leader, Cammy Day, said, “I’m delighted that with our partners we have been able to provide this fantastic facility which will offer year-round opportunities for both adults and young people to take part in sport.
“The Wall of Honour has been a great way for our citizens to pay a lasting tribute to the Meadowbank legacy and to some outstanding individuals who have made a positive impact on sport in the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.'' ''More names will be added to the wall in the future as we continue to honour those who inspire and deserve to be recognised and celebrated for years to come.”
June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said, “The team at Meadowbank has enjoyed welcoming customers, old and new to this amazing new facility since we opened our doors on 19 July and the reaction from customers has been very positive. The centre has a large variety of activities on offer, and we have been developing the activity programme in response to demand and customer feedback, ensuring the new Meadowbank Sports Centre establishes itself with a new generation.’’
