Leith Community Centre

Leith Community Centre sits in the heart of Leith in the Newkirkgate, with up to three and a half thousand members of our community using the centre on a weekly basis to socialise, learn something new or live a heathy lifestyle in a safe & welcoming building.

Our Community Centre was always a hive of activity, and although we were attracting new centre users every week we had many centre users who were still visiting us regularly who have been doing so for decades! Everyone is welcome in Leith Community Centre.

March is an important month in the history of Leith Community Centre, one which comes with great pride and since 2020 one which is tinged with some sadness.

10th March 1969

The week which heralded the official opening of Leith Community Centre fifty two years ago. Emerging from the Kirkgate clearances was our lovely new hub of the community, funded by the Edinburgh Corporation (now succeeded by City of Edinburgh Council), with the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh – The Rt Hon Sir Herbet A Brechin CBE – formally declaring the centre open.

The building looked a little bit different back in 1969, as the Community Centre occupied two levels of the Newkirkgate Shopping Centre, and included a ‘beauty culture room’.

Much like today there was an interesting array of groups utilising the modern Community Centre including Leith Trefoil Guild and Leith Aquarist Club. We are fortunate to have a copy of the officially issued programme from the official opening.

Images: Extracts from the programme. Click on an image to be taken to the full document on the Leith Community Centre Website.

24th – 29th March 1969

With the opening of a brand new Community Centre in the heart of Leith there was a need to give everyone the opportunity find out what was happening in the centre and with that Leith Community Week was organised by Leith Community Association, Leith Rotary Club and Leith Round Table acting as joint organisers.

Throughout the week various centre groups contributed to a wide variety of exhibitions including Leith Badminton Club, Leith Weight Training Club, Port of Leith Motor Boat Club as well as the centre very own Archery, Fencing, Netball and Trampoline sections.

An original copy of the programme is held in our archives, it contains some very interesting advertisements for local businesses such as Leith Provident on Great Junction Street, Abbot’s Choice whiskey and local printers MacKenzie & Storrie Ltd of Coburg Street.

10th March 2019

This was the day that we celebrated fifty years of Leith Community Centre, and there was no better way to do that than a day of community celebration.

Various centre groups provided taster sessions & demonstrations, such as football skills, various dancing and even some singing. We had a family celebration in the Sports Hall during the afternoon, and a party in the Kinnaird Hall into the evening.

18th March 2020

This was the day that we closed Leith Community Centre due to the emergency Coronavirus global pandemic. It was a sad day to see the doors closed, made harder by us not knowing when we will be able re-opening but it was a necessary step to keep our community safe. Days later the whole country moved into a national lockdown.

We are still closed, and don’t know when we will be re-opening but we can’t wait to welcome everyone back into the Community Centre when it is safe to do so and look forward to celebrating our re-opening.

Special thanks to the Trustees of Leith Community Centre for sharing this post. Leith Community Centre Association SCIO is led by a team of Trustees who are responsible for the day to day management of the centre. They are currently looking for additional trustees. If you have some free time, and are interested in keeping this important community facility running, this could be the opportunity you have been looking for. More information on what is involved, and how to submit an application at the link below.

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