Four Edinburgh mothers who bonded through a local exercise group are in the final stages of training for the Edinburgh Marathon, running as a relay team to raise funds for the charity that supported their return to fitness after childbirth.
The women met through the Active Mums programme, part of Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities initiative. They’ll join 55 other participants participating on behalf of Edinburgh Leisure at the Marathon events. The Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend (24-25 May) will feature 11 Edinburgh Leisure participants running the full marathon, 12 in the half marathon, 4 relay teams, 10 running the 10k, 8 running the 5k and four juniors.
Chio Martinez, one of the relay team members, explained: “Like many people looking for a fundraising challenge in 2025, I signed up to raise funds for Active Communities and Edinburgh Leisure by taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. Of course, there are lots of other big-name charities out there, but funding for smaller projects is under threat in Edinburgh, and this is my way of giving something back.
“Active Mums has been a lifeline for me and other mothers with young babies and toddlers. It’s not just about fitness—it’s created a community where I’ve formed meaningful connections, established a vital routine, and found reasons to leave the house on those challenging days. The programme offers clear fitness milestones in a judgment-free environment where we all understand the unique struggles of postpartum wellness. It’s given me the confidence to take on the EMF challenge—something I never would have considered before. We’re all excited to step up to this challenge together, and it’s become the perfect motivation to keep moving forward on our fitness journeys.”
The Active Mums relay team has already exceeded their fundraising target and have raised over £1,000, which is 167% of their £600 fundraising target.
Seriously Social Impact
The marathon fundraising effort came as Edinburgh Leisure marked the second Seriously Social Week (12-16 May), part of a national campaign showcasing the work of charities that prioritise people over profit, connect communities, and promote health, happiness, and creativity for all ages and abilities.
Organised by Community Leisure UK, each day of Seriously Social Week highlights how organisations like Edinburgh Leisure create social impact and foster healthier, happier communities. The campaign focuses on five key themes: health and wellbeing, community, inclusion, employment and skills, and the environment.
Jen Holland, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure, stated: “We are proud to be part of a network of charities operating with a social conscience, delivering social good through public leisure services. Our core mission is about purpose, not profit, helping people first. We support Edinburgh in becoming healthier and happier with quality health and wellbeing services for everyone, regardless of age or ability, including those with serious health conditions, which helps reduce the financial burden on the NHS.”
The Marathon Mums relay team exemplifies this mission in action. Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programmes supported 14,782 people in 2024-2025 who face significant barriers to physical activity, including those affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty—empowering participants to improve their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
These vital Active Communities programmes depend on funding and fundraising to continue their work using physical activity to transform lives and communities across Edinburgh. The initiatives foster social inclusion, promote physical activity, and enhance overall well-being throughout the city.
Support the Marathon Mums:
• To donate to Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Mums or other Active Communities programmes: www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/donate-online
• Learn more about Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities Programme: www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/active-communities
• Follow #SeriouslySocial on social media to see how Edinburgh Leisure creates social value.
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A dedicated team of swimmers from Leith Victoria Swim Centre successfully completed an ambitious challenge on Easter Monday, visiting and swimming in all five of Edinburgh Leisure’s Victorian pools in a single day to raise funds for the Active Communities programme.
The 14-member “Victorian Pool Crawlers” team swam up to one kilometre in each historic pool while walking approximately 16 kilometres between venues throughout the day. The challenge has raised over £870 to date, with donations still coming in through their JustGiving campaign.
Among the participants was 48-year-old Marek Bernat, who only learned to swim at Dalry Swim Centre in 2019. Originally from Poland, Bernat was motivated to learn after a frightening experience during a holiday in Bilbao, Spain.
“I lost my footing and tumbled down some stairs into water,” Bernat recalled. “That’s when I thought, ‘I’d better learn to swim.'” Now a regular at Leith Victoria Swim Centre’s skills and drills class, Bernat’s journey from non-swimmer to Victorian Pool Crawler exemplifies that it’s never too late to learn a new skill.
“This challenge brought together our love for swimming with Edinburgh’s incredible Victorian pool heritage,” said Alistair Clark, the group’s organiser. “To swim in all five historic venues in one day was physically demanding, but knowing we were raising vital funds for Active Communities kept us motivated. The programme helps thousands of people overcome barriers to physical activity, and we’re proud to support such important work.”
Easily spotted in their day-glow, bright orange t-shirts and Edinburgh Leisure swim caps, the team attracted attention and support from other pool users throughout the day.
Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme works to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity by providing opportunities for people facing the greatest barriers to physical activity, including those affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty. Each year, the programme supports around 12,500 individuals.
“The determination shown by the Victorian Pool Crawlers exemplifies the community spirit that makes Edinburgh Leisure’s work possible,” said Jenny Selman, Funding Manager at Edinburgh Leisure. “Their efforts will directly help us create more opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active, regardless of their circumstances.”
Those wishing to support the Victorian Pool Crawlers can still donate via their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/poolcrawl2025
Edinburgh Leisure is dedicated to helping people lead more active, healthy lives. With 53 sport, leisure, and school venues across the city, Edinburgh Leisure creates opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.
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