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May 6, 2022

Oriam Newsletter| May

This spring we have a fantastic line-up of events and activities to enjoy at Oriam. Take a read through our newsletter for the latest Oriam news and events this month. If you have a news story or event you would like to add to our newsletter please let us know!

|WHAT’S ON

Take a look at our What’s On section to find out about events activities coming up at Oriam this month. We host a wide variety of events, matches and activities throughout the year. Unfortunately not all of them are open to the public but we will keep you up to date when we can! 

Go To What's On in May

|FACILITY UPDATE

Our teams are always working hard behind the scenes, planning and delivering facility maintenance and improvements so you can enjoy Oriam activities to their fullest. From now on there will always be a facility update section here in our newsletter and occasional facility bulletins across our channels to keep you up to date with work happening at Oriam. 

| Bistro & Tuk Tuk Service

We are currently review our catering options at Oriam for our customers, events and performance groups. This review will focus on providing consistent service with quality menu options for all. 

At the Tuk Tuk, we are trialling some new menu items for our lunch options. The Tuk Tuk service hours are variable at the moment due to staffing levels. We will resume regular opening hours for our Tuk Tuk as soon as we can. 

|PARTNER NEWS & EVENTS

|PERFORMANCE GYM UPDATE

We are excited to announce the refurbishment of our Performance Gym and Strength and Conditioning Suite! 

Oriam was built with the purpose to support the development of sports in Scotland. Five years later, we are still striving to keep our facilities and service at the top of the game for our athletes. 

This project will improve the overall capacity of the performance gym with more equipment, a new multi -functional fitness area and rehab space. The new layout should also allow for multiple groups to use the space simultaneously, encouraging collaboration and communication across sports disciplines.

Our Performance team are also growing with new Sports Scientists, Physiotherapist and Head Coaches for our Sports Scholarship programs. It is a very exciting time!

|SCOTTISH & BRITISH HANDBALL EVENTS

Scottish Handball Senior Men’s & Women’s tournaments have returned to Oriam this year with regular match fixtures. Scotland has also been named as hosts for British Handball Super Cup for the next 3 years! 

The 2022 British Handball Super Cup will be played over the weekend of Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May at Oriam. The British Handball Super Cup consists of a women’s competition and men’s competition, each featuring four teams: the top two teams from the Scottish National League and top two from the English Premier League.

If you are interested in trying Handball, you can find club details on the Scottish Handball website here.

Scottish Squash Doubles teams and staff line-up on podium with medals at wsf world doubles championships
|SCOTTISH SQUASH

Our partners over at Scottish Squash are continuing on their run of success after the World Doubles with a bronze at the European team Championships. 

Heriot-Watt and Oriam are also collaborating with Scottish Squash to develop a new Squash Sports Scholarship with a new Head of Squash role to manage the program!

National Walking Month infographic. Why Walk more? It is a great way to stay fit, benefiting your mental and physical health. Just twenty minutes every day can improve your health.
|NATIONAL WALKING MONTH

We are celebrating National Walking Month this May! This month we will be sharing top tips, exercises and routes to help you out and about this Spring!

In the UK we have miles of great walking routes right on our doorstep even if you live the middle of a busy city. Just a 20 minute brisk walk each day can help to maintain positive mental health and help prevent a number of physical health conditions. 

Follow our Instagram channel for our Walking Wednesdays for more inspiration for this month. 

If you would like to know more about National Walking Month and helpful information check-out the links below:

NHS Walking for Wellbeing

Living Streets – Try 20 

Heriot Watt Campus Trails

Oriam Instagram

|Performance Sport Internships

This year we increased our intake for Internship and Placement programs at Oriam. So far it has been a great experience for all involved.

Our Performance Sport Team welcomed five interns to Oriam, for a 12-week program. The internship involved each intern committing to shadow a minimum of 2 S&C sessions per week and take part in a weekly educational element. Interns also had the opportunity to get involved in wider Oriam activities including important staff meetings as well as activities with external partners.

Tweet from Katrina Gibbon, Head of Performance Sport after final presentations from Performance Interns
|GROUP EXERCISE & FITNESS
Junior Sports Camp in Strength and Conditioning Suite

As you may have seen in our Partner News, we have some exciting new plans for our Performance Gym and our Strength and Conditioning Suite. Whilst the work is completed for the spaces, member access to our Strength and Conditioning Suite will be suspended between the 16th and 28th May. This is a short-term suspension until all work is completed. Evening sessions should return in June and we hope to further increase members access hours by the end of the summer!

We are now seeking experienced  instructors to join our team and deliver a range of fresh classes. We hope to launch a whole new class timetable in September. We have also launched a new Fitness Training page so you can find out more about all of our fitness services including Inductions, Personal Training and our My Wellness App. 

|ORIAM KIDS
ORIAM KIDS CLASSES

Our Oriam Kids classes are back for the summer term. There are still spaces available in our Tuesday Balance Bikes and Mini Multi-sports. Great classes to keep the little ones active and they can try new skills in a fun and safe environment. 

Call reception to book your kid’s space today! 

INFLATABLE FUN SESSIONS

Our Inflatable Fun sessions are also back for summer term. We have two inflatable fun sessions every week!

TUESDAYS| 15:45 – 16:45, All ages welcome.
£4.50 per child over 1yr old

FRIDAYS| 11:00 – 13:00, Pre-school only.
£6.50 per child over 1yr old.

Find our Inflatables sessions in the ‘Your Classes’ section of the Oriam App. Bookings open 7-days in advance.

Smiling child on blue bouncy castle

You can find out more about our Oriam Kids activities, inflatables and our partner classes through the buttons below. 

ORIAM KIDS
BW DANCE
Kestrel Gymnastics
Yoga Zoo
Soccer Academy
Turtle Tots
|STUDENT SPORTS

Sports Union activities are wrapping up with only a few final matches still to play.  There is still plenty to enjoy at Oriam whilst you study though! As sports club activity is slowing down, casual sport availability is opening up so you can play badminton, basketball, table tennis or squash with your friends! Free for members or student discount available for guest passes.

We also have some great student deals for the summer! Top-up your current student membership to last the whole summer, or if you are new to Oriam, we have Flexi and One-month memberships. Enjoy full members access to our Fitness Suite, Group Exercise classes and casual sports sessions alongside expert support from our Fitness team and the My Wellness App. Find out more about our student summer membership options now! Available to purchase on our Oriam App or at reception.

Go to Student SUmmer Memberships
April 26, 2022

Scottish Student Sport Success

SSS (Scottish Student Sport) hosted two successful football finals at Oriam this month. Find out more about the competition and final results here. If you’ve not heard of SSS before, they are an organisation focussed on sports opportunities for Scottish Universities and Colleges.

Scottish Student Men’s Football Final

On Wednesday 13th April, we witnessed a tense match between Heriot-Watt University and University of Stirling in the Scottish Student Men’s Football Final! Heriot-Watt secured a monumental victory to lift the Queen’s Park Shield. The Shield returns to Heriot-Watt after a 16 year wait! It was a fantastic win at home for the team.

You can read the full article on the SSS website here

Heriot-Watt Men's Football Club Lifted the Queen's Park Shield. Team of men in yellow football strips, hands in the air in celebration, carrying the Queen's Park Shield.

Scottish Student Women’s Football Final

On Wednesday 20th April, SSS returned to Oriam for the Women’s Football Final. The University of St Andrews met The University of Stirling in a gripping match. The winners would lift the newly renamed #SheCanSheWill Cup.

The closely fought match finished overtime in a 0-0 draw. In a nail-biting penalty time, St Andrews clinch a 3-2 victory.

You can read the full article on the SSS website here

St Andrews Women's Football team lift the #SheCanSheWill Cup. Team of women in light blue smile, with their hands in th


April 14, 2022

Oriam Newsletter| April

This spring we have a fantastic line-up of events and activities to enjoy at Oriam. Take a read through our newsletter for the latest Oriam news and events this month. If you have a news story or event you would like to add to our newsletter please let us know!

|WHAT’S ON

Take a look at our What’s On section to find out about events activities coming up at Oriam this month. We host a wide variety of events, matches and activities throughout the year. Unfortunately not all of them are open to the public but we will keep you all up to date when we can! 

Go To What's On in April

|FACILITY UPDATE

Our teams are always working hard behind the scenes, planning and delivering facility maintenance and improvements so you can enjoy Oriam activities to their fullest. From now on there will always be a facility update section here in our newsletter and occasional facility bulletins across our channels to keep you up to date with work happening at Oriam. 

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS – MASK UPDATE

The Scottish Government has updated the legislation and guidance for covid-19 protocols, with a provisional timeline for returning to ‘normal’ life this spring. Most of our activities and services are already running at almost normal levels and we are planning to open up more flexibility and availability for activities in the coming months.

From Monday 18th April, Scottish Government are relaxing the rules for wearing masks. From Monday 18th, wearing a mask in most public spaces will no longer be mandatory and become a personal choice or responsibility. We will still encourage our staff and members to take all reasonable precautions however we will no longer enforce mask-wearing in our facilities. Our team will continue with enhanced cleaning, crowd management and test & protect compliance to help keep everyone safe and healthy.

|CAR PARK

Over the past couple of months we have been making repairs and improvements to our cap park area. The members’ car park barrier has been repaired and fresh road markings have been painted to assist with the one-way route directions. This is much needed to improve access and control the flow of cars into the main car park.

The barrier now operates between the following times;
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday , Friday 6.30 – 10pm
Wednesday 6.30 – 2pm
Saturday & Sunday 8am – 8pm
If you do not have an access card then please contact your facility booker to receive the Car Park Barrier code, alternatively if you wish to use a card instead, this can be purchased from main reception for £1.

If the car park is full and you are still looking for parking on Campus the car parks, A, B & H are the closest to the facility and a short walk from the main entrance. You can view a full map of parking areas on the Heriot-Watt website here.

We have been experiencing a lot of poor car parking with cars double parked and also parking in the disabled bays which is preventing those with blue badges using these allocated spaces. We respectfully ask that all patrons adhere to parking in the correct bays when visiting the facility. Additional security patrols have also been requested to help with the flow of traffic and improvement for those who need to use the disabled bays.

In the mean time if you do have a question or feedback on our car park or other facilities please do email us directly at hello@oriam.hw.ac.uk and this will be passed to our Director of Operations to review.

|PARTNER NEWS & EVENTS

Scottish Womens Football Team, two rows of players facing camera on pitch, front row kneeling, back row standing

|Scottish Women’s Football

Our very own performance team, Katrina Gibbon and Jen Hudson were recently called-up to join the coaching staff for SFA Women’s Seniors and U-19 camps!

Jen worked with the SFA Women’s Under 19s, in their camp preparing for their three matches against Kazakhstan, Estonia and Kosovo. The team returned home unbeaten and secured their promotion to League A in the UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship!

Katrina worked with the SFA Women’s National Team in their camp at Oriam, preparing for their World Cup qualifier match, against Spain. It was a challenging game but a record turnout at Hampden Park on Tuesday 12th for the match.

|SCOTTISH & BRITISH HANDBALL EVENTS

Scottish Handball Senior Men’s & Women’s tournaments have returned to Oriam this year with regular match fixtures. Scotland has also been named as hosts for British Handball Super Cup for the next 3 years! 

The 2022 British Handball Super Cup will be played over the weekend of Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May at Oriam. The British Handball Super Cup consists of a women’s competition and men’s competition, each featuring four teams: the top two teams from the Scottish National League and top two from the English Premier League.

If you are interested in trying Handball, you can find club details on the Scottish Handball website here. 

Scottish Squash Doubles teams and staff line-up on podium with medals at wsf world doubles championships

|SCOTTISH SQUASH

A number of athletes who train with Scottish Squash at Oriam recently attended the World Squash Doubles Championship in Glasgow and came home with a silver and two bronzes! Congratulations to all the athletes and the support staff! You can read their review of the competition here. 
Scottish Squash have also just announced their athletes representing Scotland in the upcoming European Championships. Congratulations to the Heriot-Watt Scholars Lisa Aitken, Martin Ross and Alasdair Prost for making the selection! 

|YOUR SUCCESS

It has been a successful week on our Indoor Synthetic Pitch with two great football events for clubs that call Oriam their Home Grounds! 

|HWUFC Historic victory

Heriot-Watt University FC faced Stirling University FC in the Scottish Student Sport Football Final on Wednesday 13th April. It was a close match but Heriot-Watt won 2-1 and lifted the Queens Park Trophy! It is the first time HWU FC have lifted the trophy in 16 years! Congratulations to the whole team and the dedicated coaches on this historic win.

|Walking Football Charity Event

Our Oriam Walking Football group hosted a fantastic walking football event on Monday 11th April alongside a number of other walking football groups. The walking football tournament was a fundraiser in aid of the Dnipro Orphans of Ukraine. The whole event was a great success and they raised over £2400 on the day, with an additional £1800 from an anonymous benefactor! 

|GROUP EXERCISE & FITNESS

You told us we need more bikes in our cycle studio and we heard you! New bikes are now here, increasing class capacity from 10 to 15 people per class. We also recently welcomed a new class to the group exercise timetable, Mix-45! This new class combines functional fitness and HIIT exercises and held in our Strength & Conditioning suite every Tuesday and Friday. Our Performance and Fitness team are working on some exciting projects for our performance and strength and conditioning areas just now and we look forward to sharing more details with you soon!

We are now seeking experienced  instructors to join our team and deliver a whole range of fresh classes. We have also launched a new Fitness Training page so you can find out more about all of our fitness services including Inductions, Personal Training and our My Wellness App. 

|ORIAM KIDS

EASTER HOLIDAYS UPDATE

Easter Holidays are just around the corner and our teams have got lots of plans to help keep your kids busy whilst schools out. Oriam Kids Easter Camp is now open for booking! 19th – 22nd April for ages 5-12 years including a variety of fun sports activities planned for the week. 

We are also offering extra Inflatable fun sessions during the school holidays. You can find and book them in ‘Your Classes’ section on our Oriam App. Holiday sessions are £6.50 per child. Extended 2-hour sessions open to all ages. 

Oriam Kids Classes are back from 25th April for summer term with new rugby and netball classes now available! Spaces are filling up so give us a call to book a space today. 

You can find out more about our Oriam Kids activities, inflatables and our partner classes through the buttons below. 

ORIAM KIDS
BW DANCE
Kestrel Gymnastics
MJ Swim Academy
Yoga Zoo
Soccer Academy
Turtle Tots
Smiling child on blue bouncy castle

|STUDENT SPORTS

Sports Union activities are wrapping up with only a final few matches to play for the season. There is still plenty to enjoy at Oriam whilst you study though! As sports club activity is slowing down, casual sport availability is opening up so you can play badminton, basketball, table tennis or squash with your friends! Free for members or student discount available for guest passes.

We also have some great student deals for the summer! Top-up your current student membership to last the whole summer or if you are new to Oriam we have Flexi and One-month memberships. Enjoy full members access to our Fitness Suite, Group Exercise classes and casual sports sessions alongside expert support from our Fitness team and the My Wellness App. Find out more about our student summer membership options now! Available to purchase on our Oriam App or at reception.

Go to Student SUmmer Memberships

|YOUR FUTURE

We are hiring for a range of roles at Oriam. Part-time and Full-time Opportunities. We run a supportive team environment, encourage personal development and there are some great staff perks so check out our Job Vacancies page or email your cover letter and CV to careers@oriam.hw.ac.uk

GO TO JOB VACANCIES PAGE

March 17, 2022

Facility Update 17th March

Facility Update 17th March  

Car Park Access 

The main car park barrier has now been repaired and the exit barrier is just awaiting a few replacement parts to complete the repairs this week. This is much needed to improve access and control the flow of cars into the main car park. 

The car-park barriers should be in full operation from Monday 21st March. 

The barriers will operate between the following times; 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday , Friday 6.30am – 10pm 

Wednesday 6.30am – 2pm 

Saturday & Sunday 8am – 8pm 

How can I access the members carpark? 

Oriam Members, you can use your black oriam membership card for carpark access. Please note student cards do not work on the carpark barrier.  
If you regularly visit Oriam and do not have an access card, then please contact your facility booker to receive the Car Park Barrier code. Alternatively, if you wish a card this can be purchased from main reception for £1. If your current card does not work on the carpark barrier, please bring it to reception to be reactivated.  
 
Visitors requiring access to the disabled parking spaces without a card or code can request access at the barrier, just select 1 and then the bell symbol on the keypad to call through to reception.

Car Park Respect 

If the car park is full and you are still looking for parking on Campus the car parks, A, B & H are the closest to the facility and a short walk from the main entrance. 
https://www.hw.ac.uk/documents/car-parking-map-edinburgh.pdf 
 
We have been experiencing a lot of poor car parking with cars double parked and parking in the disabled bays which is preventing those with blue badges using these allocated spaces. We respectfully ask that all patrons adhere to parking in the correct bays when visiting the facility. Additional security patrols have also been requested to help with the flow of traffic and improvement for those who need to use the disabled bays. 

In the meantime, if you do have a question or feedback on our car park or other facilities, please do email us directly at hello@oriam.hw.ac.uk and this will be passed to our Director of Operations to review. 

Scottish Covid Rules 

The Scottish Government has updated the restrictions and requirements for covid-19 safety. Many of the restrictions are easing however the legal requirement to wear a mask in public spaces and public transport has been extended to early April.  

BBC News Scottish Government update.
 
We appreciate all our visitor co-operation on the current mask rules. We will continue to ask visitors to always wear a mask in our reception and corridor areas. When the mask rules are relaxed, we will review our policy at Oriam and inform our visitors of any changes.  

March 9, 2022

Oriam Newsletter| March

February was packed with new events, matches and activities for our customers and there is plenty more to come this spring! We have started a few new projects to develop our facilities and services and we are gradually opening up more booking availability and activities as restrictions ease in Scotland. Take a read through our newsletter for the latest Oriam news and events this month. If you have a news story or event you would like to add to our April newsletter please let us know!

|PARTNER NEWS & EVENTS

|BACK ONSIDE MATCH

On Sunday 6th March we hosted our first event with our new Charity Partners, Back Onside! 

Thank you to all of our customers who came along to support the teams and to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause. It was a great turnout for both teams but Oriam Select triumphed in the end with the final score 3-2! 

We look forward to many more successful events with Back Onside in the future. This is just the beginning of a great partnership!

If you think you need any support with your mental health and wellbeing please get in touch with the fantastic Back Onside team. 

|SCOTTISH & BRITISH HANDBALL EVENTS

Scottish Handball Senior Men’s & Women’s tournaments have returned to Oriam this year with regular match fixtures. Scotland has also been named as hosts for British Handball Super Cup for the next 3 years! 

The 2022 British Handball Super Cup will be played over the weekend of Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May at Oriam. The British Handball Super Cup consists of a women’s competition and men’s competition, each featuring four teams: the top two teams from the Scottish National League and top two from the English Premier League.

If you are interested in trying Handball, you can find club details on the Scottish Handball website here. 

|SCOTTISH RUGBY

Last month we welcomed SRU back to Oriam for national squad camps, preparing for the Six Nations tournament. BT Sports joined the Mens Senior Squad for a peek behind the scenes. If you missed the live broadcast you can watch the full show on youtube here. 

|SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

We have all been shocked and saddened at the current war unfolding in Ukraine and we stand alongside our partners, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. 

Heriot-Watt University is offering support to any staff or students on all campuses, who have been impacted by the conflict. 

Scotland Football Men’s World Cup qualifier match against Ukraine has now been postponed. We will work with the SFA to support the teams in any way we can. 

|GROUP EXERCISE & FITNESS

We have made some changes to our gym access for our members. First of all, you no longer need to pre-book your fitness session on the app. You just need to bring your membership card to enter through the turnstiles. We have now also opened some availability to members in our Strength and Conditioning gym. Due to a smaller capacity this area does require pre-booking and sessions are set to 55 minutes.

Last month we also welcomed a new class to the timetable, Mix-45! This new class combines functional fitness and HIIT exercises and held in our Strength & Conditioning suite every Tuesday and Friday. 

We are now seeking experienced  instructors to join our team and deliver a whole range of fresh classes. We have also launched a new Fitness Training page so you can find out more about all of our fitness services including Inductions, Personal Training and our My Wellness App. 

|YOUTH FITNESS WEEK

Our Youth Conditioning Camp is coming back this Easter! 

This is a week-long camp for 12-16yrs, designed to build confidence and sports & fitness skills through games and workshops. Open to all abilities and perfect for any young person interested in a career in sport and fitness or just interested in developing their own personal fitness skills.

Dates, costs and booking details will be coming very soon!

|ORIAM KIDS

EASTER HOLIDAYS UPDATE

The Spring Term for Oriam Kids is now in progress with most of our classes fully booked. There are still a couple of spaces available in Athletics and our new Balance Bikes classes so it’s not too late to get your kids signed up!

Easter Holidays are just around the corner and our teams have got lots of plans to help keep your kids busy whilst schools out. Oriam Kids Easter Camp is now open for booking! 19th – 22nd April for ages 5-12 years including a variety of fun sports activities planned for the week. 

We also hope to have extra inflatable fun sessions too. Dates and times coming very soon!

This month we also welcome back Kestrel Gymnastics with their Gymteds classes on Mondays. Sessions available for ages 15 months – 5 years. 

You can find out more about our Oriam Kids activities, inflatables and our partner classes through the buttons below. 

ORIAM KIDS
BW DANCE
Kestrel Gymnastics
MJ Swim Academy
Yoga Zoo
Soccer Academy
Turtle Tots

|SPORTS UNION

Sports Union activities are well underway for Semester Two. The much anticipated Heriot-Watt Sports Ball was on the 18th of February and it was a great night celebrating the successes of teams and individuals across all clubs. It is also election season for next year’s Heriot-Watt Student Executives. Voting opens soon for 22/23 Elections! 

Our current Sports Union President, Amber and her team have done an amazing job over the past year and we look forward to welcoming in a new team this summer. 

It’s never too late to get involved with student sport and fitness at Oriam and Heriot-Watt. We have exclusive membership options for Heriot-Watt Students with Bronze, Gold and Flexi membership perfect for anyone interested in getting started now. You can purchase them on our Oriam App or find out more here. 

|FACILITY UPDATE

Our teams are always working hard behind the scenes, planning and delivering facility maintenance and improvements so you can enjoy Oriam activities to their fullest. From now on there will always be a facility update section here in our newsletter and occasional facility bulletins across our channels to keep you up to date with work happening at Oriam. 

|CAR PARK

In our February newsletter we communicated in regard to the Oriam Car Park and would like to follow up with a short update.

The main car park barrier has been repaired and the exit barrier is also being repaired in the coming 10 days. This is much needed to improve access and control the flow of cars into the main car park.

The barriers will operate between the following times;
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday , Friday 6.30 – 10pm
Wednesday 6.30 – 2pm
Saturday & Sunday 8am – 8pm
If you do not have an access card then please contact your facility booker to receive the Car Park Barrier code, alternatively if you wish a card, this can be purchased from main reception for £1.

The Barrier operation hours will commence from Monday 21st March .

If the car park is full and you are still looking for parking on Campus the car parks, A, B & H are the closest to the facility and a short walk from the main entrance.

We have been experiencing a lot of poor car parking with cars double parked and also parking in the disabled bays which is preventing those with blue badges using these allocated spaces. We respectfully ask that all patrons adhere to parking in the correct bays when visiting the facility. Additional security patrols have also been requested to help with the flow of traffic and improvement for those who need to use the disabled bays.

In the mean time if you do have a question or feedback on our car park or other facilities please do email us directly at hello@oriam.hw.ac.uk and this will be passed to our Director of Operations to review.

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

The Scottish Government has updated the legislation and guidance for covid-19 protocols, with a provisional timeline for returning to ‘normal’ life this spring. Most of our activities and services are already running at almost normal level and we are planning to open up more flexibility and availability for activities in the coming months.

Currently, wearing a facemask is still mandatory for indoor public spaces in Scotland. For our facilities this includes entering and exiting the buildings and any corridors and reception areas whilst moving around the facilities. The recent Scottish Government update indicates mask-wearing mandates will be eased from the 21st March. We will continue to follow all reasonable precautions to keep our staff and customers safe with enhanced cleaning, crowd management and test & protect compliance.

|YOUR FUTURE

We are hiring for a range of roles at Oriam. Part-time and Full-time Opportunities. We run a supportive team environment, encourage personal development and there are some great staff perks so check out our Job Vacancies page or email your cover letter and CV to careers@oriam.hw.ac.uk

Apply Now

February 24, 2022

Oriam select take on Back Onside select for charity

Sunday 6th March – Back Onside Select vs Oriam Select – Charity Football Match celebrating new partnership between Back Onside and Oriam.

On Sunday 6th March, come along and show your support Oriam select football team who take on a Back Onside select team to celebrate the launch of the new partnership. Oriam’s team combines Oriam staff and Heriot-Watt University Football Club (HWUFC) alumni, while Back Onside’s team will include a number of current and ex professional footballers that the charity has supported or worked with.

Back Onside are a Scottish mental health charity who by partnering with Oriam are aiming to help people’s mental health through the medium of sport.

The match will take in Oriam’s indoor pitch with a 1pm kick off (spectator access from 12). Tickets are priced at £5 per person and available to buy here – Eventbrite| Back Onside v Oriam Charity Football Match

The Oriam squad will be managed by current Heriot-Watt University Football Club (HWUFC) Head Coach, Banji Koya, who will have a strong squad to choose from, including eight ex-Heriot-Watt players/ coaches:

Ross Campbell (Oriam, Montrose & ex HWUFC)

Anton Dowds (Falkirk & ex HWUFC)

Aidan Quinn (Montrose & ex HWUFC)

Chris Donnelly (HWUFC)

Omar Kader (ex HWUFC)

Gav Malin (ex HWUFC)

Chris Smith (ex HWUFC)

Chris Sellar (Oriam/ ex HWUFC)

Also joining the HWUFC alumni are Oriam staff and friends of Oriam, including:

Stevie Crawford (East Fife)

Danny Denholm (East Fife)

Kieran Kennedy (Oriam)

John Lowe (Oriam)

Isaac Mackie (Oriam & HWUFC)

Amber Robertson (Oriam)

Mark Leslie (SFA)

Stew Fowlie (Scottish Student Sport)

Facing the Oriam squad will be the likes of Rab Douglas (ex Celtic), Tam McManus (ex Hibs), Jamie Walker (Bradford FC & ex Hearts) and Danny Swanson (East Fife), among an array of ex professional players.

Player sponsorship opportunities are still available at £100 per player and anyone interested should email events@backonside.com

Get along and show your support to the team, while raising some valuable money for Back Onside.

February 4, 2022

Back Onside announce new charity partnership with Oriam.

View of Oriam entrance with Back Onside and Oriam Logo placed in centre.
New Partnership between Back Onside and Oriam.

Back Onside are delighted to announce their new partnership with Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre. Opened in 2016, Oriam is perhaps best known for playing host to a range of high performance sports groups such as Hearts, SRU and SFA however the centre also provides a wide range of health & physical activity services to students, staff and the local community. With Back Onside being focused on supporting people with their mental health through sport-based activity, it seems the perfect partnership and both are looking forward to an exciting year ahead. While Back Onside’s beginnings are firmly planted within football, the charity is keen to work with many more sports to provide mental health support.  

To kick off the partnership, Oriam are hosting a charity match on 6th March which will see Back Onside Select dust off their boots for the first time since November and take on an Oriam Select side. As part of their partnership, Oriam will continue to host vital fundraising matches for Back Onside throughout the year as well as providing space for meetings and support the launch and running of the new Back Onside Academy. Back Onside in return will provide support and counselling services to Oriam staff and Heriot-Watt Sports Union volunteers and help promote positive wellbeing & mental health to their members. Libby Emmerson, Back Onside Founder said: 

“We are so excited about our new partnership with Oriam. After a tough couple of years for our charity due to Covid restrictions stopping all our big fundraising events, this feels like a great way to kick off 2022. We can’t wait to see where this partnership takes us as we have shared values and goals making it the perfect match for both sides.” 

Libby Emmerson, Back Onside Founder

Founded on shared set of beliefs, Chris Sellar, Head of Delivery at Oriam, hopes the partnership will create a home away from home for the charity and the people they support. He also said: 

“We are really excited about this new partnership with Back Onside as we are completely aligned on the value of sport and physical activity to create and maintain positive mental health. At Oriam, we are passionate about providing services that will enable positive physical and mental health and this underpins a lot of what we do. Back Onside has been growing in reach and impact over the last few years and we are delighted to be in a position to help support their growth at an exciting stage in their development through this partnership. We have many exciting ideas to bring to life under this new relationship, starting with the much anticipated Oriam select v Back Onside select charity match” 

Chris Sellar, Head of Delivery at Oriam

Back Onside is a Scottish based charity committed to tackling mental health illness. With 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health illness each year in the UK, yet only a quarter of these people receiving treatment, Back Onside work with both individuals and teams to tackle this, offering support and encouraging recovery through sport activities. They are focused on helping people by promoting self-confidence, raising self-esteem, unlocking inner potential and promoting sports-based activity. Back Onside are proud to count Sheridan Smith & Gary Hollywood amongst their Patrons as well as Ambassadors from the sporting world including footballers Kris Doolan & Junior Mendes & Scottish Rugby professional Fraser Brown. 

For more information, please contact Libby Emmerson on 07528 243 100 / libby@backonside.com.  

February 4, 2022

Oriam Newsletter| February

Our start to 2022 was a little quiet but we are certainly making up for it now with a whole range of activities and events planned for the coming months. Most restrictions have now been eased in Scotland and we are excited to welcome back our teams and members for indoor training. We have welcomed a number of new Interns to join our Oriam teams for this semester for experience in all areas of our business from Performance Sports Science to Events planning. Take a read through our newsletter for the latest Oriam news and events this month.

|PLANNED SYSTEM UPDATE
We have some exciting plans for our bookings and memberships system which should improve many of our services for the future. The next step in this process does require a full shutdown of our systems for up to 24 hours. This shutdown will take place on Monday 7th February. We will remain open on Monday, however there will be no access to our bookings and payments systems. Please find the full details here. 

|Group Exercise & Fitness

Our Fitness team are currently working on some exciting updates for our Group Exercise program and fitness programs. Mandy our Fitness Manager will be meeting a member’s focus group to help us create a program that works for our members. We hope to have a new timetable in place for this Spring. 
We have also launched a new Fitness Training page so you can find out more about all of our fitness services including Inductions, Personal Training and our My Wellness App. 

You can also check out our Instagram Reels for new fitness challenges, workouts and more every Friday. If you try one of our workouts tag us and use #FitnessFriday in your post, we love to hear from you! 

|FACILITY UPDATE

Our teams are always working hard behind the scenes, planning and delivering facility maintenance and improvements so you can enjoy Oriam activities to their fullest. From now on there will always be a facility update section here in our newsletter and occasional facility bulletins across our channels to keep you all up to date with work happening at Oriam. 

|STUDIO ONE

The Air Conditioning system in Studio one was replaced at the end of last year following feedback from our exercise classes about the temperature control and air-flow. There was an intermittent fault in the control panel after the new system was fitted which we are pleased to report has now been fixed.

We do appreciate our member feedback on our facilities so please let us know if there’s anything we can do to improve your experience.  

|CAR PARK

We appreciate that the Car Park is an essential part of coming to Oriam for many of our customers and we want to ensure we have taken into account the future use of the car park for all users and make improvements where we can.

Work to replace the current car park barriers should begin later this month. This work will be just a small part of a larger review of the Oriam car park, focussing on capacity and functionality for all visitors. 

|SPORTS UNION

Sports Union activities are well underway for Semester Two, especially now the restrictions have been eased for contact sports in Scotland! The Sports Ball is also coming up on the 18th of February. Last year’s virtual sports ball was great but we can’t wait to see the clubs celebrate together in person this year. We will be sharing the club nominations and winners when they are announced. It is also election season for next year’s Heriot-Watt Student Executives, applications are now open to current HWU students. Our current Sports Union President, Amber and her team have done an amazing job over the past year and we look forward to welcoming in a new team this summer. 

It’s never too late to get involved with student sport and fitness at Oriam and Heriot-Watt. We have bronze memberships available for semester two, just £111 for the whole semester. You can purchase them on our Oriam App or find out more here. 

|ORIAM KIDS

The Spring Term for Oriam Kids is now in progress with most of our classes fully booked. It is great to see so many happy kids and parents enjoying our facilities. 

We are excited to welcome back Oriam Balance Bikes from 22nd February, with a short block of 6 classes for just £30. This is a great class for kids aged 3 – 5 yrs, working on their balance, coordination and confidence before they move on to their first pedal bike!

During the February school break we will also be offering two Inflatable fun sessions.  Tuesday 15th and Thursday 17th February, extended two-hour sessions with 3 fun inflatables! Open to ages 2-12yrs. 

You can find out more about our Oriam Kids activities, inflatables and our partner classes through the buttons below. 

ORIAM KIDS
BW DANCE
DANSATION
Soccer Academy
Yoga Zoo
MJ Swim Academy
Turtle Tots

|BIKE BOTHY

Evan is back at our Bike Bothy and we have fantastic discounts on offer this month for bike hire. With the days getting brighter and the weather warming up it is a great time to get out and about on your bike for some fresh air and exercise. 
If you are interested in hiring a bike, you can contact Evan by email. e.oliphant@hw.ac.uk

|YOUR WATT FAMILY

We are excited to announce our new official partnership with Back Onside. The charity organisation aims to improve our nations mental health through education, support and inclusion. Our first event together will be a showcase football match held here at Oriam on Sunday 6th March. It should be a great day and tickets are only £5. Find out more here or get your tickets today from the button below. 

Get your ticket now

|OUR ORIAM

|FACE MASKS

We are glad to be returning to an almost ‘normal service’ here at Oriam and we appreciate all of our visitors who are doing their part to keep everyone safe and comfortable. 

Please remember that masks are still mandatory in public venues in Scotland. For Oriam that means you must wear a mask (unless medically exempt) when entering and leaving the facilities, including reception, corridors and bistro areas. If you forget a mask we have them to purchase at reception for £1. 

You do not need to wear a mask whilst participating in sport or fitness activities so they are not required whilst in the fitness suite or whilst playing on pitches/courts. We hope to continue running all our activities as normal but we can only do this with our visitors support. 

|YOUR FUTURE

We are hiring for a range of roles at Oriam. Part-time and Full-time Opportunities. We run a supportive team environment, encourage personal development and there are some great staff perks so check out our Job Vacancies page or email your cover letter and CV to careers@oriam.hw.ac.uk

Apply Now

January 31, 2022

Our Oriam| Temporary Reduced Service

Monday 7th February 2022

Due to a significant update for our bookings and memberships system, there will be reduced service at Oriam on Monday 7th February. This update will be beneficial for our bookings and memberships for the future, however it does require a full system shutdown for 24 hours.

Whilst the system is shutdown, we will be unable to process any payments or make any changes to bookings and memberships. We have made provisions to enable us to run most services for the duration of the system shutdown so you can still enjoy your favourite Oriam activities.

Facilities

Facilities will be open to Members and pre-paid team bookings only, there will be no guest passes or pay-as-you-go bookings available for the day. The Bistro Tuk-tuk will be closed for the day. We plan to offer self-service tea, coffee and water at reception instead.

Bookings

The gym and casual sport (except casual Football) will be run on a walk-in basis for members only. We will not be taking any pre-bookings for the gym or casual sport for the day. Attendance and area capacities will be monitored by Oriam staff throughout the day.  If you plan to visit the gym or play casual sport on Monday 7th February, you will be asked to present a valid member ID card before starting a session.
Group Exercise Classes, Kids Classes & Walking Football will all be open to pre-book until the evening of Sunday 6th Feb. Attendance registers will still be taken on the day.
If you have a regular pitch or sports hall booking for Monday 7th Feb and you normally ‘pay on the day’, we ask all payments to be made before 8pm on Sunday 6th ahead of your Monday booking.
Online pre-booking for classes and activities scheduled for the 8th– 14th Feb will be temporarily unavailable on the 7th.

Memberships

All Fitness, Group Exercise and Casual Sports on Monday 7th Feb will be limited to Members Only and members must show a membership card before starting an activity.
We will be unable to process any changes to member profiles on the 7th, we will resume processing any membership changes from the 8th February.

If you have any questions about activities and services on 7th February, please contact membership@oriam.hw.ac.uk or talk to one of our members of staff the next time you visit.

December 28, 2021

Systems and Process Update

Find out more about upcoming improvements to our customer systems and processes

New Online Payment system

From the 30th December, we will be switching to a new system for online payments. The new system is fully adapted for tablet and mobile devices, with a clean and simple layout for ease of use. If you make regular payments online or on our Oriam App, you will now have the option to save your payment details to speed up the process!

The new system has been thoroughly tested however, if you have any difficulties with making an online payment please contact reception on 0131 451 8400 or email hello@oriam.hw.ac.uk

New cancellation & no-show process

From the 4th January we will be implementing a new cancellation and no-show process for our group exercise classes. We have been tracking attendance for our classes and noticed a significant number of late cancellations or no-show members. This has an impact on overall access to classes for everyone, so we are introducing new cancellation and waitlist processes. This should increase overall availability for our members. The late-cancellation and no-show policy has now been included in our current Terms & Conditions (section 9.4)


How to cancel a class or activity

Members will now receive an email reminder the day before a pre-booked class. You can also add your bookings to your personal calendar, direct from our Oriam App. If you can no longer attend a class, please cancel your space at least 2 hours before the scheduled start time, so another member can enjoy the class instead.
You can easily cancel your booking on our Oriam App, Online Members Area or call reception on 0131 451 8400.
Here’s a quick guide video for how to book and cancel your classes on the Oriam App.

Try our Oriam App to manage all of your Oriam bookings. You can find available classes to book in ‘Your classes’ and add a reminder to your calendar straight from the app. There are two easy ways to cancel a booking too. You can either find & select your booked class in ‘Your Classes’ then just press cancel. Alternatively, you can find all of your upcoming activity bookings in ‘Your Bookings’. Select the booking you wish to cancel and press cancel.

Waiting Lists

If a class is full, members can place their name on the waiting list. The list no longer has a priority order, if a space becomes available, all members on the waiting list are sent an invite to join the class and the place is then filled on a first come, first serve basis. This process is now automated so waiting members can be notified as soon as a space becomes available. These changes should improve the movement of class waiting lists.

If a class regularly has a waiting list, the fitness team will now have more accurate reports to assess the class timetable and make additions or changes to help meet member demand.

Late Cancellation & No-show Policy

The last part to the new process is our late-cancellation and no-show policy. From the 4th January, we will also implement a 3-step no-show and late-cancellation policy to encourage responsible bookings & cancellations.

A late-cancellation is a cancellation made less than 2 hours before the scheduled start-time of the class. A no-show is termed as no cancellation notice and no attendance, for a pre-booked class.

  1. First no-show or late-cancellation – Recorded on Member Profile
  2. Second no-show or late-cancellation (in a 60 day period) – Recorded on Member Profile, email reminder sent, next late-cancellation or no-show will result in a £3 charge and temporary reduced access.
  3. Third no-show or late-cancellation (in a 60 day period) – Final email notice sent and £3 charge applied to account, bookings access temporarily blocked. Once £3 charge is paid, account is reactivated and no-show record is reset to 0.
    All no-show charges will go towards maintaining and improving Oriam facilities and services for the future.



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