TWO Midlothian leisure centres have achieved highly commended status within Quest, the UK-wide quality scheme for the leisure industry. Loanhead and Mayfield Leisure Centres both achieved a high score of 75%. Quest is the recognised industry standard for the management of sport and leisure facilities throughout the UK and has endorsement and support from Sportscotland. It is based on the concept of continuous improvement, which means that in order to achieve high standards all areas of the leisure centres operations need to be reviewed and improved on an ongoing basis. Rigorous independent two day assessments at each centre were supplemented by mystery customer visits. Each centre was rated on a number of areas including customer care, cleanliness, housekeeping, management of health and safety, and marketing. Jan Murray, Senior Support Assistant at Loanhead Leisure Centre said: "On behalf of our staff and customers, I am delighted that the centre has been recognised in this way. As facilities are retested every two years, Quest ensures standards are maintained." Matty Davidson, manager of Mayfield Leisure Centre at the time of appraisal, said: "This award reflects the hard work of the staff and the new centre manager Jim will work with them to maintain this standard. Ultimately it is our customers who will benefit from our recognised high standard of facility and service." Facilities are retested every two years to encourage continuous improvement. In total seven of Midlothian Leisure Centres have now achieved Quest accreditation. Cabinet Member for Leisure, Recreation and Sport Councillor Bob Jenkins said: "I am absolutely delighted that the high standards set by the staff at both Loanhead and Mayfield Leisure Centres has been recognised by Quest. They have worked hard to achieve these awards. These leisure centres are now recognised as amongst around only half a dozen centres in Scotland to have been merited with this level of award by Quest. "Midlothian Council strives to continually develop and improve our service and facilities to meet current demand. The Quest scheme is a further bench mark to encourage continuous improvement in service for the benefit of users."

IN all the years I worked on the Evening News Sports Desk and, now, in my supposed 'retirement', covering minor-grade football and sport in and around Edinburgh, I don't think I have ever received such an excellent letter in support of the work I am currently doing to raise awareness of the appalling standard of public-owned facilities in Edinburgh and, indeed, throughout Scotland for young people and also older ones, too, who want to play football and other sports. The ongoing campaign that includes contacting every MEP, MP, MSP in Scotland and also every councillor in Edinburgh with pictures and comment on the squalor at facilities on offer to our young people, will culminate in a Mass Protest March in February next year. This march will, I hope, include kids, officials of clubs at all levels (even professional) in support of the legal right of young people in this city and also throughout Scotland to enjoy the same standard of facilities as given to the elite. It is a legal right for young people to be given the same treatment as politicians and others in authority give to themselves! We, all of us who genuinely care about all our young people - not just ourselves or our particular group - to unite together and, hopefully, this letter from school teacher, Ronnie Dempster, will encourage all those who have not offered their support so far to the Protest March to do so now! MSP Brian Monteith, the father of two boys who started their respective football careers with Leith Athletic FC and Edina Hibs BC, respectively, had a brilliant articile on the subject published in the Evening News on Friday and the MSP is now going to ask the BBC to produce a documentary on the subject. Meanwhile, Ronnie Dempster wrote to me saying:

Dear Ian

As a citizen of Edinburgh of now more than 25 years and a place I now call home, I am pleased to support your campaign to drag playing facilities out of the dark ages and at least somewhere close to the 21st century. At long last the issue is being brought to the doors and desks of those responsible for decades of neglect. During my years in the Capital, I have always sought to promote the development of grass roots football within schools. However, like many teachers in secondary schools and volunteers within youth clubs, I share an increasing sense of despair. Our young players are continually expected to perform and develop on an ever-diminishing number of fields, particularly within schools, which are then consequently overused with little, or any, additional maintenance.

I recall an article by yourself in the Edinburgh Evening News of December 18, 2005, in which you quoted a grandfather describing faciliities in Edinburgh as being 'disgraceful'! I believe the gentleman who made the quote as being not only correct but also 'diplomatic'! The reality as we all know is that facilities in the Capital city are not only disgraceful, they are in fact an embarrassment to the entire country and beyond. Indeed, I doubt if there is a school or youth club anywhere in Edinburgh which has not had to aploogise to visiting teams from outwith the Capital for the squalid facilities. What a great impression we must imprint on the minds of our visitors! In addition, God alone knows what teams from outwith Scotland must think of playing in Edinburgh but, 'we won't be back' is probably a good bet. I was horrified to learn that the 'shacks' at Double Hedges are still there and still being used. I last visitied that particular venue with a school under-13 team more than five years ago and the changing rooms then were so disgusting that I refused to allow our boys to change in them. Instead, we use the minibus. Surely this 'facility' and the many others like it must be covered by Health and Safety regulations or is the City of Edinburgh Council so arrogant to believe that is 'above the law'? Answers to that one on a postcard!

Finally, isn't it perverse that our MSPs are about to spend tens of thousands of pounds to protest themselves from 'terrorist' pigeons which, incidentally, I hope will continue to do to politicians as the politicians themselves continue to do the people! I wish you well in your campaign and hope that you will continue to contact me if I can be of any further assistance. Signed, Ronnie Dempster, match secretary, West Lothian Schools' FA.

 NOW FOLKS LOOK BELOW AT THE FACILITIES IN ITALY THIS IS THE GROUND OF

G.S. FROGMONTEGANI LA ROSSA  MILANO BUT EVERY YOUTH CLUBS AND SCHOOLS ALL OVER ITALY HAVE THESE FACILITIES TO USE AND ITS JUST NOT FOOTBALL

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST FOLKS LOOK AT IT AND WEEP, THE YOUTH OF SCOTLAND HAVE NO CHANCE AS IT STANDS  ITALY WORLD CUP WINNERS 4 TIMES NEED I SAY MORE !!!!!!!!!