Meadowbank Sports Centre Community Benefits Delivered

Meadowbank Sports Centre

Community Benefits Delivered

Delivering Lasting Impact

This booklet details the involvement we have had with the local community and educational establishments in the Edinburgh Area, throughout the duration of the Meadowbank Sports Centre project.

£55,420

Overall Benefit In Kind

£41,830

Community Enhancement Project Including Volunteering within Local Communities

£2,575 Employability Support

£3,868 Received by Local Charities

£15,275,000

Value of Spend with Local SME’s

Value of Spend with Local SME’s £15,275,000

About GRAHAM

We aspire to be different, to be better and to leave a mark that stands the test of time.

We are proud that our work positively influences the lives of thousands on a daily basis. Often this impact is significant, sometimes subtle, but ultimately it is lasting.

‘Delivering lasting impact’ is our guiding principle. It’s also a sign of our ambition, testament to our continued success and reflective of our future optimism.

Our impact is measured not just in the quality of the project delivered, but in the long-term impact on the environment, communities and people.

“Delivering lasting impact” is our guiding principle and it is central to how we operate. This vision is centered around four core themes comprising of Environment, Communities, Ambition and People which underpin our activities.

Key focus areas and selected UN SDGs have then been attributed to each of the respective themes.

Community Engagement / Charity Donations

Upcycling, Re-Using, and Re-Purposing Materials

from the old Meadowbank Sports Stadium to local community groups, schools, and residents.

The team supported Duddingston Golf Club with the donation of some Astro turf, and galvanised fencing to upgrade their footpath and to section off the walkway to the car park.

Steven Murray from GRAHAM presented one of the floodlight housings to local resident, who had requested a keepsake from the old stadium.

The team donated some log stools to Abbeyhill Primary School from some of the trees which had to be removed from the site.

Beatson MRI Fundraiser

GRAHAM employees and site staff raised £250 for the charity.

Hi Suzanne, I’m happy to confirm that a huge amount of parcels arrived from Amazon last weekthank you so much for your support. We would like to post a Thank You message on social media. Please can you let me know your Twitter handle etc?

Many thanks, Julia.

GRAHAM Donated £1000 to Edinburgh Clothing Bank’s Winter Warmer Appeal 2021

Charity 7’s

A team of Colleagues from the played a Charity 7’s football event host of good causes

Abbeyhill Primary School Football Team

Abbeyhill Primary School – First ever football team, being presented with their kit and training kits by Steven Caughey Project Manager and Suzanne Stevenson Social Impact Advisor.

Suzanne Stevenson has driven the establishment of a strong community relationship between GRAHAM and Abbeyhill Primary School, which has seen the donation of materials for our “loose parts play”, the construction of a bug hotel and the sponsorship of our new football team………….I look forward to continuing to develop our relationship for as long as GRAHAM remain in our community”

Sally Ketchin Head Teacher

Football Event

project along with Thomas & Adamson event that raised thousands of pounds for a causes in the Edinburgh area.

Engaging The Local Community

GRAHAM, the Design Team, and members from City of Edinburgh Council held an Information Morning in Meadowbank Church to inform residents, of the plans for the new Sports Centre.

Leaving a Legacy for

Leith Walk Primary

Recycling some of the felled trees into benches for Leith Walk Primary School, leaving a legacy from the old stadium to the school.

We commissioned The Grassmarket Project to create 3 benches to fill the spaces in the playground, from the felled timber at Meadowbank to bring the school full circle with their association to the old Sports Stadium, where they used to hold their sports day linking them to the new Sports

Leith Walk Primary

3 benches ordered

I am emailing to let you know that the 3 benches have now been ordered, we have instructed the Grassmarket Project to make them from the recycled timber from the felled trees at Meadowbank. This will be a constant link to the old Meadowbank and a good talking point for your pupils on recycling for years to come

Suzanne Stevenson Social Impact Advisor

Go4Set Challenge

The Project Team sponsored Holyrood High School for the Go4Set Challenge

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Go4Set scheme, I am sure you will find it both a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Flora Lewis EDT Trust.

Scotland’s Future Workforce

Developing The Young Workforce

GRAHAM partnered with Action for Children and various other key partners to design a 7-week training programme aimed at women who have a keen interest in exploring the world of construction. The programme commenced in early February and was targeted at females living in Edinburgh.

The course involved the young women attend Edinburgh College to gain an insight into construction and to gain their CSCS cards, the girls were supported by GRAHAM and the site team at Meadowbank Sports Centre.

The girls also attended 3 days at ConstructEd Scotland and built a very impressive mini wind turbine.

New partnership kicks off with sport for employment charity

GRAHAM entered a new partnership with Street League a sport for employment charity. This partnership enabled young people to access Street League’s services to get motivated and informed about career pathways in the construction industry and gain employability advice as well as support for CV writing, mock interviews, and work experience.

On 4th September, four young people from the programme enjoyed a hands-on site visit and careers talk with Project Manager, Stevie Caughey.

I am writing to thank you for the recent work placement opportunity that GRAHAM provided for 3 of our Civil Engineering Foundation Apprentices. Having spoken to the pupils, feedback has been extremely positive with all 3 having different experiences, tasks and scenarios to work on. From the initial meeting to the pupils going out onto work placement every area of the pupil’s development, experience and enjoyment had been thought of. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Denise Yates Foundation Apprenticeship Coordinator.

Work Experience Programme

GRAHAM worked in partnership with the City of Edinburgh’s JET Academy and JET Plus Programme, Action for Children and Fife College to offer work experience opportunities with young people in the Edinburgh area.

We would all like to thank Graham for the support and the time that they gave our young people and hope that we can continue to work together in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Sam Barrie – Placement and Progressions Coordinator, Action for Children

Curriculum Support Activities

GRAHAM carried out 16 Educational Events throughout various schools in Edinburgh including Career Events, Bug Hotels, Site Visits and Pre-employment Programmes.

Recycle, Re-Use & Repurpose

At GRAHAM, we are always looking at inventive ways that we can interact with local communities where we are working. The team from Meadowbank Sports Centre were more than happy to help with this request from Roseburn Primary School Nursery in Edinburgh, for the donation of some items, that the children could use in their playground, we promptly collected items that normally would have been thrown into the skip and presented them to the nursery. Ian Bingham, Senior Building Services Engineer played “Scavenger” for the day and collected waste lengths of pipe, empty cable drums and bits of piping.

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These were then presented to the nursery to use in their playground, where the children were highly delighted and promptly set about creating adventures and imaginative play.

The children at were so excited parts for their They immediately the cable drum other, promoting development, awareness. The used as a platform ship, then it for their firestation. role-playing people do in the pipes as the pipes were with the children each other set up the were rolling them, learning parts play to assess their opportunities endless!!! Thank you our little learners!”

Heather Bingham,

Heather Bingham,

Bingham, Roseburn Nursery

Text Message

Todat 9:41PM

at Roseburn Nursery excited to receive some new their loose parts play area. immediately proceeded to roll drum back and forth to each promoting fine and gross motor development, team work and spacial The cable drum was then platform to build a rocket was used to hold the piping firestation. The children were role-playing and learning about the jobs in the community by using as hoses to put out fires. Then were turned into a ‘telephone’ children taking turns to talk to from each end. They then pipes in a different way and rolling balls and cars down through learning about forces! The loose also encourages the children their own risk and the learning opportunities and fun they create are you all again so much from all learners!”

Bingham, Roseburn Nursery

Caring For The Existing Workforce

Graduate Apprenticeship Programme

I’ve always had an interest in construction, particularly buildings and how they are constructed and maintained. When I left school, I originally pursued a degree in building surveying, but I desperately wanted to develop my practical experience. I applied for an apprenticeship with GRAHAM and started their programme to gain a technical apprenticeship to HNC Level. When the pandemic struck, our mentors at Heriot Watt University and the team at GRAHAM were supportive throughout and ensured we all stayed on track, achieved our outcomes and produced the appropriate evidence.”

Karen Jeffries Graduate Engineer with GRAHAM

AVQ Management are a training provider based in Kilmarnock. In the last 6 years, in conjunction with GRAHAM, we have delivered SVQ qualifications at SCQF levels 6-11 to approximately 200 individuals working within GRAHAM and members of their supply chain employees.

As a supply chain member ourselves, the support of GRAHAM has been invaluable to the development of our own business.”

Anne Queen, Managing Director

Temporary Works Coordinator

Emergency First Aid at Work

Level 3 Installer (curtain wall)

BIM365

Technical Apprenticeships: Construction Management, Building & Civil Engineering

HNC Civil Engineering

Advanced Health & Safety

Appointed Persons

MAP Site Management Safety Training Course

Training The Existing Workforce

The promotion of industry skills is an important goal for GRAHAM, it benefits not only our own operation but the overall construction sector across Scotland. This presents many benefits for employees as well as employers, helping to develop a knowledgeable workforce which can deliver complex projects quickly and professionally.

Not only GRAHAM employees, but employees of companies within our supply chain have been supported with access to training SVQ qualifications, which range from HNC to Master’s level.

2,786 TRAINING HOURS

Delivered through the Early Learning & Childcare Expansion Projects

Considerate Constructors Scheme

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is the national initiative set up in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its image.

Construction sites and companies that register with the Scheme are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.

GRAHAM have successfully attained best practice CCS Standards on the Meadowbank Sports Centre.

Best Practice Guidelines