A week of learning. A lifetime of opportunity.
This week, a group of young people took a bold step toward their future, gaining real skills, real qualifications, and real experience. Now, with CSCS Green Cards in hand, they’re ready to enter the construction industry and help us create The Dock @ Coalie the final element of the Park Improvement Plan
Hands-On Training & Certification
The programme delivered essential construction skills, all at no cost to them, delivered by Raeburn Training with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Each day brought a new challenge and a new certification:
- Monday: Manual Handling & Fire Awareness
- Tuesday: REHIS Elementary Health & Safety
- Wednesday: Abrasive Wheels Training
- Thursday: Vehicle Banksman
- Friday: CSCS Prep & Test (with full support at Raeburn Training, Kirkcaldy)
Every participant passed, making them job-ready from day one.
More Than Training—Building a Community
Beyond qualifications, this programme was about impact. Participants will apply their new skills by helping construct a much-needed skate and community space at Coalie Park in Leith. The programme and project has been designed by Edinburgh Wheels and Odyssey Construction will lead on the build, with Balfour Beatty providing additional support. The young trainees will bring the energy and dedication to help bring it all to life. What started as a training initiative turned into something far greater—an opportunity to give back while moving forward in their own careers.
Why It Matters
The UK construction industry needs skilled workers. These jobs offer good pay, stability, and career growth. For our trainees, this was more than a course—it was their first step into a promising future.
But beyond personal growth, they’ve also left a lasting mark on their own community. Coalie Park’s new skate area will serve as a gathering place, a spot for creativity and movement, and a reminder of what’s possible when young people are given the chance to build—both their futures and something tangible for others to enjoy.
To everyone involved: congratulations. You didn’t just train. You leveled up.
But that’s no all there is also a Mosaic for Coalie Park
We have also been working on a mosaic for the site. It starts with a bench—simple, but a place where conversations spark and ideas form. Inspired by Gaudí’s playful, organic mosaics, this design transforms 34 square metres of space beneath the Great Junction Street Bridge into a creative landmark. A place where wheels meet water, stories begin, and Leith’s energy finds expression.
The Edinburgh Wheels Project is leading the development of this space, ensuring it becomes a true community hub—somewhere skaters, creatives, and locals can connect. We have the design and are now working on cutting and shaping the mosaic to bring this vision to life.
What’s Next?
Well on Monday morning 31st March, on site construction will begin and continue for 8 to 10 week.
For more information: https://edinburghwheels.co.uk/
