Big Hearts Community Trust

Big Hearts Community Trust is a Scottish charity based at Tynecastle Park in Gorgie, Edinburgh. It is the official charity of Heart of Midlothian F.C. and provides community support programmes for children, adults and families. The organisation is registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and is a company limited by guarantee.

History

The organisation was incorporated and registered as a charity on 23 March 2006 under the name The Hearts Education and Community Trust Limited. It was renamed Heart of Midlothian Education and Community Trust in October 2006 and adopted its present name, Big Hearts Community Trust, in October 2011.

In 2015, the charity adopted a new strategy focused on supporting families in need and vulnerable groups, with work addressing areas including mental health, equality and social isolation. Its Kinship Care programme, the first programme developed under the family-focused strategy, was launched in October 2015.

The Big Hearts Supporters initiative was launched in 2016 to enable Hearts supporters and local residents to take part in volunteering and other activities supporting the charity. Big Hearts was a finalist in the 2017 Scottish Charity Awards.

In 2021, the Big Hearts Supporters programme won the More Than Football Award, organised by the European Football for Development Network. The prize included a mini-pitch, which was subsequently installed at South Morningside Primary School in Edinburgh through a partnership involving Big Hearts, the City of Edinburgh Council and Robertson Construction.

In 2026, Big Hearts was selected through the Scottish Government's Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund to lead a partnership using football club charities to provide family support. The programme was planned for Edinburgh, Aberdeen, East Ayrshire, Falkirk and Inverclyde.

Activities

Big Hearts operates programmes from Tynecastle Park and elsewhere in Edinburgh. Its Kinship Care work provides activities and support for children living in kinship care and their carers. The City of Edinburgh Council lists the charity's Kinnections group among support services available to children in kinship care.

The charity also runs a football reminiscence programme for older people. In 2026, STV News reported that the Big Hearts Memories group had been operating for more than a decade and used archived photographs, football memorabilia and discussions to encourage social interaction and recollection. The programme particularly works with people affected by dementia, stroke or social isolation.

Its youth programmes have included Friday Night Lights, run in partnership with Police Scotland, Edinburgh Leisure and local community sports hubs for young people at risk of becoming involved in antisocial behaviour.