Here for good: using football as a hook to support a community

On matchday at the Vanloq Community Stadium in North Edinburgh, football is the obvious draw. But for Spartans Community Foundation (SCF), the real goal is something bigger: using the power of the game to build trust, open doors, and create lasting opportunities for people who might otherwise be left out.

From football club to community anchor
Spartans Community Foundation was established in 2006 as the charitable arm of The Spartans FC, a club founded in 1951 by Edinburgh University and now competing in SPFL League Two. What began as a traditional football club has evolved into a successful social enterprise and charity.

Profits from pitch hire, community coaching and hospitality are reinvested directly into a wide-ranging social impact programme that supports children, young people, families and older adults across North Edinburgh. Spartans’ approach is simple but powerful: meet people where they are, use football to spark interest, and then build a ‘bridge of trust’ that helps individuals try new things, grow in confidence and feel they belong.

That trust changes lives in practical ways. In one of SCF’s alternative educational programmes, 8 out of 9 pupils couldn’t swim. By focusing first on relationships - making young people feel safe, valued and supported - staff helped every one of them progress to swimming independently, without armbands. It’s a small story that captures a big idea: confidence learned in one place travels into others.

Education for those who don’t fit the mould
SCF also works directly in schools, with Education Officers, Youth Workers and Community Coaches supporting six primary schools and Craigroyston Community High School . Their flagship ‘Senior Alternative School’ programme offers young people who struggle in mainstream education a different way to learn - often outdoors, always relational, and tailored to individual needs.  

Based at the Ainslie Park campus, there is a focus on self-reflection, personal development and intensive support. Students attend two or three times a week where they take part in 1:1 or small group learning in numeracy, literacy, music, art, physical education, entrepreneurial learning, work experience and volunteering. 
The secondary programme supported 22 students last year and is oversubscribed, with referrals from more than half of Edinburgh’s high schools.

A recent pilot extended this model to primary pupils with such strong results that funding has now been secured to deliver a Junior Alternative School for 12 pupils from 3 local primary schools.

Beyond school, SCF supports young people and adults to develop skills and move closer to employment. Participants gain SFA coaching badges, while programmes like ‘Off the Bench’ help unemployed 16–25-year-olds build confidence and earn SQA qualifications.

SCF’s impact stretches across generations. Walking football, para football, yoga, pilates and a weekly social club for seniors offer accessible ways for local people to stay active and connected. These low-cost or free activities help tackle isolation, improve wellbeing and keep Ainslie Park buzzing throughout the week - not just on matchdays.

A trusted partner in North Edinburgh
Located in Pilton, one of Edinburgh’s most economically deprived neighbourhoods, the Vanloq Community Stadium is more than a football ground. The site includes two synthetic pitches, community facilities, an Education & Youth Work Space, and the Willow Den outdoor nursery, rated “Very Good” by the Care Inspectorate. SCF plays a leading role in local collaboration, working with networks such as NESSIE, R2, and the North Edinburgh Youth Work Consortium (NEYWC), where it acts as lead partner, distributing funding and creating pathways into youth work careers.

Strong leadership, sustainable foundations
The organisation’s success rests on strong leadership and governance. Douglas Samuel MBE, who grew up around Ainslie Park, helped drive the Foundation from its beginnings in 2006 and led it for 17 years. In December 2023, leadership passed to Debbi McCulloch, a respected football coach and community practitioner with experience of delivering Scotland’s largest community coaching programmes.

With 26 full-time staff and an experienced Board of Trustees, SCF is widely recognised as a well-run, accountable organisation. Long-standing relationships with funders and social investors reflect that trust, as does their ability to blend grants, trading income and social investment to sustain impact.

Here for good
Spartans Community Foundation shows what’s possible when a football club truly commits to its place. By using sport as a starting point - not an end - they’ve created a hub where learning, wellbeing and opportunity flourish side by side. 

Many Foundation Scotland donors support Spartans.  They have been awarded social investment twice from Foundation Scotland’s Social Investment Fund, having received £250,000 in 2024 towards creating the bespoke new Education & Youth Work building on the Spartans campus at Ainslie Park, and £200,000 in 2020 for works to improve pitch facilities.  

Foundation Scotland staff Ali Kennedy, Annabel Bath and Sharan Sloan recently enjoyed a visit to Spartans to meet with CEO Debbi McCulloch and Dan Gerrard, Funding and Partnership Manager  

At Ainslie Park, football might get people through the gate. But it’s the relationships, trust and belief in local potential that keep them coming back and help ensure Spartans is, in every sense, here for good.