An Edinburgh community baseball club is appealing for financial help in order to secure playing space in the capital for the foreseeable future.
Rays Baseball Club which was founded in November 2022 offers the chance for anyone interested in the American sport to give it a go within a free community-led setting.
Luke Rajczuk, who is a language tutor and freelance journalist, helped to set up the club with the help of several others and says that baseball is a growing sport in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
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He adds that their club has been a space where people from multiple ethnic and cultural backgrounds can stay active whilst coming out of their shell and mix with others.
He hopes that by securing a lease with Edinburgh Leisure for their Morgan Playing Field home at Peffermill, the club will also be able to offer a space for youths from the nearby Gilmerton and Niddrie area to stay occupied and out of trouble.
On the club he said: “We have had a lot of interest from around the Gilmerton and Niddrie area. The club was started to get people with an interest or love for baseball from different backgrounds and cultures together.
“Week on week we have around 20 to 22 people, who are a mixture of beginners and experienced players, come along to train and play baseball. It was decided that we would run the club for free to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
“It is a really cool sport. As well as training and playing we try to incorporate fun things like barbecue or communal watch parties where we get together to watch the game together.
“Our idea is to help local communities and people from a variety of ethnic, cultural and social groups interact with each other through sports activities. Baseball in this case.
“Our members come from many professional backgrounds and cultures who are able to share their experiences on the field. We even have a former athlete running our warm-up and the fitness part of training.
“The atmosphere during our baseball sessions is very friendly and extremely supportive between beginners and the more experienced members. Our numbers have grown so we believe this is the time to ask for help in securing a space for the near future.
“We see a lot of younger people in the area flying around economically challenged neighbourhoods and not knowing what to do with themselves so we hope to be able to get them to try a new sport as we look to grow.
“All our equipment has been donated to the club by the generosity and kindness of Edinburgh local community as well as other parts of Scotland and the rest of the UK. We have had people bringing equipment to us all the way from the United States.
“We are looking for donations to help us cover our extended let for the field through Edinburgh Leisure. The cost of each 2-hour session at the field is £38 and we are looking to secure the park for as long as it is possible so we can continue to share our passion for sport and promote the wonderful game of baseball.
“Hopefully by next year we will be able to play competitively at competitions around the UK whilst also fostering a real community spirit that everyone can get involved in.”
To learn more about the club you can visit their Facebook here or their website here. To support the GoFundMe click here.
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