Spartans Community Football Academy (SCFA) - Edinburgh
Our association with Spartans began in 2004 when we were appointed to help them build a community football academy in the north side of Edinburgh. We saw the potential to develop the facility as a contribution to the regeneration of the area. Our work has involved providing advice and expertise on a range of matters including:
- Consideration of local demand for facilities
- Consideration of developing on existing site or moving to a different location
- Preparation of design brief for submission to architects
- Negotiated on behalf of SCFA site lease and ownership with City of Edinburgh Council
- Oversight of design process for new facilities to ensure compliance with potential funders.
- Responsibility for writing development and business plans for the academy
- Preparation of funding bids to attract £3.3 million cost of the academy
- Advised SCFA on all negotiations with CEC and the Scottish Executive to ensure delivery of the project
- Consideration of legal structure of SCFA
- Operational and management advice of the academy.
In delivering our services we have ensured that SCFA has involved the whole community in north Edinburgh which has resulted in generating support from a variety of community groups including The Pilton Partnership, NEAR, all local primary and secondary schools, Granton and Muirhouse Youth organisations and the SCFA is a founder member of the North Edinburgh Physical Activity Forum. The development work of this project saw the SCFA as a partner in a successful revenue bid for Active Futures funding which is currently operating in the area. The building was opened in December 2008 and has already proved a huge succes with 1,000 youngsters using the facilities free of charge by the New Year (2009) and the SRU using the site to train their senior squad for their 2009 Six Nations Matches.
