A walking football club has celebrated a decade at one of Scotland’s top sports facilities, crediting the sport with transforming the health and wellbeing of hundreds of players.

Oriam Walking Football (OWF) marked the milestone at its annual summer gathering, held at Heriot-Watt University’s Oriam, where more than 60 members took part in a round robin tournament.

The event raised £330 for the club’s 2026 charity partner, Care & Repair Edinburgh. In the run-up to the gathering, members also held a food drive and handed over a £500 cheque to local charity Community for Food.

The club began life in 2015 as a small pilot on the outdoor pitches at Balerno High School before moving indoors when Oriam opened in 2016.

It has grown to more than 135 registered players, ranging in age up to 84, with more than 4,000 player places taken up in 2025 alone — a figure already up 45% year-on-year in 2026.

Oriam Walking Football

Club chair Paul Rendall said: “Our club motto is ‘more than a football club’ and it sums up everything we’ve been building here at Oriam.

“We started as a small pilot in 2015 on the outdoor pitches at Balerno High School, where we wanted to bring walking football to this corner of Edinburgh.

“When Oriam opened its doors in 2016, we jumped at the chance to move indoors, and we’ve just continued to grow every single year since.”

He added: “What’s been most incredible to witness over the past decade is the friendships that have formed and the camaraderie that’s developed, along with the walking groups, social clubs and other activities that have grown up alongside the football.”

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Walking football – one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports – is a slower-paced version of the game in which players must keep one foot on the ground at all times, with no heading and no tackling from behind.

OWF now runs four social sessions a week and fields seven competitive teams, including an over-40s ladies squad currently unbeaten in its first league campaign.

Chris Sellar, Director of Delivery at Oriam, said: “When we first supported this pilot back in 2015, we could see the potential for walking football to make a real difference in the local community. What OWF has built over the past decade has surpassed all expectations.

“Yes, we are home to some of Scotland’s elite athletes, but we are just as committed to ensuring our facilities are open and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.”

The club has also built a wider social scene, including a walking group, grub club, golf and pool clubs and badminton sessions. Last year it raised more than £6,200 for Alzheimer Scotland as part of its tenth-anniversary fundraising.

Oriam itself, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, opened in 2016 following a £33m national investment and is used by organisations including the SFA, Scottish Rugby and Heart of Midlothian.

Source: https://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2026/07/09/edinburgh-walking-football-club-celebrates-ten-years/