Walking through the rows of townhouses of Edinburgh’s New Town, amongst the posh Bruntsfield streets, the riches of the capital are evident. But within the city, 12% of the population live in areas considered to be in the 20% most deprived of the whole country – Muirhouse, Niddrie, Pilton… to name a few.
These communities often have an ageing population who suffer from mental health issues, social isolation and loneliness – a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the middle-class, picturesque image of the city.
Community groups outside the city centre are integral to addressing inequality. Every first and third Monday morning of the month, Easter Road Stadium hosts a free social group named Hibs Memories. Their purpose? To discuss ‘the good old days’ over a cup of tea or coffee. Seems simple enough, right? Perhaps that’s the beauty of it. A group of volunteers run the project, led by 77-year-old Tom Wright.
Tom is the Hibernian FC historian. He has written seven books about the history of the club and is working on his eighth. Founded in 1875, Hibernian FC makes up half of Edinburgh’s representation in Scotland’s top league (the other being their fierce rivals Hearts). Whilst the football club was originally formed to represent the Irish Catholic population of the city, the memories group is inclusive and open to all.
At Easter Road, memories such as Hibs beating European giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona, are all fondly remembered, together with any win against local rivals Hearts!
Hibs Memories may have started from humble beginnings, but it quickly grew in size.
‘‘Originally, only two or three people attended, but over the years our numbers have increased to around 50 to 60,” Tom says with excitement.
He saw a photo of his playing days, and his face lit up as he remembered
“It initially started after speaking to an ex-Falkirk captain who was suffering from Alzheimer’s,” Tom recalls about founding the project. “He saw a photo of his playing days, and his face lit up as he remembered.”
Scottish football plays an important role in the community. In proportion to the population, more people in Scotland attend football matches than in any other country.
Tom explains that the project was developed with Alzheimer’s Scotland and several Scottish football clubs. “Although it began with a focus on dementia, [we] quickly realised the benefits for loneliness and depression.”
Hibs Memories is giving older people more than just space for sharing their most vivid recollections of their favourite team; it’s allowing them the dedicated time to connect with one another. Nothing grabs hold of people more than memories, and this group not only reflects this sentiment, but also cherishes it deeply.
The vision behind the project has spread across the Channel to the Netherlands and even across the pond to the USA, where an Edinburgh University student has set up a similar group for a baseball team.
Loyal members of the group, Ali, Jackie, Gordon, John, George, Pat, Margaret, Brian and Brenda all met each other at the group. These strangers are now firm friends as a result of the group, showing that the most important goal of Hibs Memories is inclusion, connection and community for those without it.
Pat’s family moved down south, so she visits Easter Road with her friend Margaret, who enjoys the meet-ups so much that she is now a regular volunteer.
Brenda, who is married to Brian, said, “Brian came himself first and really enjoyed it, so I thought I would come along too.”
“On our third visit they had arranged a trip through to Hampden to visit the football museum, which was really good,” Brenda adds.
People from all over Edinburgh, including Craigentinny, Pilton, and Corstorphine, come together in the group, welcoming notable guests such as former Hibs captain and manager Pat Stanton. The Hibs legend played 13 seasons and over 600 games and is still a familiar face at Easter Road, regularly in the stands to watch the games.
These social groups foster community and friendship across Edinburgh’s often-overlooked neighbourhoods.
Everyone is welcome at Hibs Memories, Tom says: “Even Gordon, who is a Rangers supporter!”
