What We Do
Our work very much reflects the values of the club when it was first formed.
That is, when the club was formed by the Catholic Young Men’s Society in 1875, it would use funds raised from games to support the local community. And these values are alive today in the community foundation as they were 150 years ago.
Broadly, we work in two areas:
Grassroots Football
Organising football for all in our community, from recreational to national performance teams. This includes our boys, girls’ and women’s academies, pre-school and school programmes, holiday camps and football for particular groups in the community: those who are disabled and/or have special needs, over 55s, and refugee and immigrant communities.
Community Outreach
Developing initiatives that offer practical help to those who most need it. We provide hot meals and a warm, inviting space to anyone and everyone who can benefit from it. We work with a range of community groups, charities and foodbanks in the central, north and east sides of Edinburgh, many of whom refer people to us. But we do a lot more too. We organise keep fit classes, a community choir, social clubs for young people, the elderly and refugee community, provide computer and online access, and adult learning opportunities.
Why We Do It
Poverty & Cost of Living Crisis
While Edinburgh is one of the country’s most affluent cities, there are neighbourhoods within walking distance of the stadium that are categorised as being among the top 5% of the most disadvantaged in Scotland (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2020). These include:
- Restalrig and Lochend
- Granton South/ Wardieburn/ West Pilton/ Muirhouse area
- South Leith
- Craigmillar and Niddrie
- Dumbiedykes
In these areas, 34-39% of children live in poverty, attendance at secondary schools is the lowest in the city and 40% of children in primary schools have additional support needs.
There are over 40 foodbanks in Edinburgh; most churches and community centres are now involved in food distribution.
The highest rates of fuel poverty are found in the social sector where 37% of local authority and housing association households are fuel poor. Around 36% of households living in fuel poverty are older households.
Our Response
- We provide reduced and no cost regular football sessions to children aged 3-16.
- We deliver Hibs Class in secondary schools, offering five periods of timetabled football to improve wider educational outcomes.
- We organise two weekly lunches in the stadium, working with local charities and foodbanks.
- We organise activities and social clubs for the elderly, providing a warm and inviting space, allowing them to switch the heating off in their own homes.
- Case Studies
Mental health, social isolation & loneliness.
The Scottish Government has made loneliness and social isolation both a public health and a social issue.
- Lack of social connections can increase the likelihood of early death by 26%. That risk is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is higher than obesity and physical inactivity.
- Particular groups of people may be at increased risk of social isolation and loneliness – including those with socio-economic disadvantage, those with poor physical and mental health, disabled people, those living alone, those who have been bereaved, men over 50, minority ethnic groups, and those from LGBT+ communities.
- Online technology can actually become a factor in increasing isolation.
Our Response
- We promote our twice-weekly lunches to all members of the community, using volunteers to ensure everyone feels welcome each visit.
- We organise Hibs Memories, an elderly social club led by a team a dedicated volunteers, which is open to everyone and anyone (ie non-Hibee!). Held twice a month.
- We organise a community choir, open to all ages, which meets weekly and open to non-English speakers (singers?!) too.
- We partner with Scotland's largest mental health charity to deliver a programme that encourages men to talk about difficult issues lives; we also support a self-help group to have regularly meetings in the stadium.
- We create volunteering opportunities in community football, football coaching, administration, fundraising, communications and our community outreach work.
- Case Studies
The arrival of New Scots and refugees in Leith
We recognise that Leith continues to attract new waves of immigrants and refugees, just as when the club was formed by Irish immigrants 150 years ago. Working in partnership with a range of support bodies, we play our part in helping integrate and settle New Scots into life in Edinburgh.
- Within Leith Academy and its four ‘feeder’ primary schools there are more than 50 different languages spoken.
- Ukrainian orphans brought to Scotland by fan-led charity Dnipro Kids attend schools within the priority 5km radius of the stadium.
- 1,300 Ukrainian refugees are housed in a requisitioned cruise ship moored in Leith docks, and the Ukrainian embassy is less than a kilometre from the stadium.
Our Response
- We established a dedicated lunch club for the Ukrainian community, which is being extended to all members of the community.
- At Christmas, we organised a children's St Nicholas party for 200 in the stadium, followed by a three-course meal for Ukrainian families in January.
- We are developing dedicated football sessions for New Scots.
- We regularly provide free tickets to watch games at Easter Road Stadium.
- Case Studies
Our Case Studies
Coming Soon.
