The Club hosted a ‘100’ Club in the 1980’s. For reasons unknown, it stopped, and it was not until, at the suggestion of a member, a replacement lottery scheme was created in 2011. The idea came from a friend of the member, who had successfully run such a scheme at Bridge of Allan golf club. Given that the key initial documents were available, the idea was offered to an Edinburgh School’s Old Boys club, but it was rejected out of hand on the grounds it was ‘too common’, so ESC became the lucky recipient!
The 50 50 club currently has around 70 shareholders holding a total of around 140 £5 shares, generating a gross income of around £700 per month. Fifty percent is paid as prizes, and fifty percent retained for distribution to good club causes. The constant recipients are the Annual 50 50 Junior tournament, and the ‘ESC Foundation’, a scheme in which pupils from local state schools are given a day of mixed coaching in the racket sports. Other grants have included a defibrillator, tennis ball launcher, very large TV, bar upgrades, new fire doors and a series of large photographs for the lower squash courts hallway. The latest grant was a 50% share of the installation of full-height windows in the lounge and dining room, to create ‘A Room With A View’, in memory of Rona Stevenson who sadly died in 2020. Over £35,000 has been distributed as prizes during the 9 years of the scheme (as at 2020), and the same amount has been distributed as grants.
One survivor from the ‘100’ Club has been the Draw Chamber, a device manufactured by Alastair McIntosh.
The following are links to a number of ESC 50 50 Annual reports. The reports contain the financial results, along with illustrated accounts of the ESC Junior open and the ESC Foundation visits.
The following slideshow is a mixture of 50 50 activities.
Edinburgh Sports Club History 