Edinburgh youth football stalwart receives MBE
Douglas Samuel has been awarded an MBE for his work with the Spartans community football academy - and for going the extra mile during lockdown
Last updated 1st Jun 2022
An Edinburgh youth football stalwart has been awarded for his work with an MBE.
Douglas Samuel has not just excelled in his work with sport, but also by going the extra mile during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Samuels is also Manager of the Spartans men's senior side, who play in the Lowland League.
Samuel has been with Spartans for 20 years, they provide youth work and homework clubs to young people with hot meals and a weekend breakfast club, ensuring that all were guaranteed a healthy meal that day.
During COVID-19 he transformed the Academy into a food distribution hub; distributing over 75,000 packed lunches, over 3,700 ready meals and over 800 weekly food parcels, and everything from clothing to arts and crafts packs.
When free school meals were not available, the local Primary School discreetly identified families for the Club to provide 7 meals per person, per household every weekend to help to feed those local families in most need. 53,000 meals were distributed.
"It's not about creating professional footballers. It's about creating a place that can be a social home for the community, a place that brings people of all ages and all backgrounds together." He told Forth News.
"I hope we've been able to create this community anchored organisation that's played a key role within North Edinburgh to support local families.
"I feel very privileged and blessed to be in a position where we get a chance to do that, to help local community groups and partners and local families.
"The dream was always to create that social home where somebody could walk through the doors and be made to feel welcome straight away. And I think we've been able to do that."
Like many others across the country, as the lockdown came into force Samuel realised it would leave some of societies most vulnerable struggling, and he and the rest of the academy reacted.
He said: "In an instant, our 4 million pound sports facility was turned into a distribution hub and primarily food distribution hub. So it became a focal point for donations and collections and distribution.
"I think it was probably the first time in my lifetime that I've seen all the different sectors truly come together and work together as one to help people in need. So it seems strange to say that it was exciting and rewarding and enjoyable when it was such a hugely difficult and challenging time."
Summarising the honour Samuel told us: "I was pleasantly surprised. I was probably a little bit in shock as well, because I didn't expect it actually. So yeah, it was mixed emotions really one of surprise and also excitement naturally."