The City of Edinburgh Council has opened its new Source to Ocean Action Recovery (SOAR) fund, offering grants of £2,500–£10,000 for coastal and marine-focused projects
From beach cleans and wildlife projects to environmental art, community planting and educational workshops, the fund is for projects that help local people connect with and protect our marine and coastal environments, as well as watercourses.
Our volunteers at Trinity & Corstorphine have made amazing progress on both sites over the summer!
We’re riding the momentum and continuing our weekly volunteering sessions into autumn so come along and join the friendly and wonderful volunteer crew. No matter your experience level, we’ll have a job for you to get stuck in with!
Look for us at the former bowling pavilion in Victoria Park (Trinity) on Wednesday & Fridays, and at St Margaret’s Park (Corstorphine) on Saturdays!
An inspirational mother who has campaigned for tighter security around knife sales following the death of her son has been recognised for her tireless work at Harbour Homes’ north Edinburgh Community Awards.
Lisa Petrie was named Community Champion at Harbour’s annual north Edinburgh Community Awards, held on Wednesday 30 September.
Tenants and local community members nominated neighbours, volunteers and community groups they felt deserved a big thank you. The categories were Good Neighbour, Community Champion, Community Group and Special Recognition.
Lisa began campaigning for tighter restrictions on the sale of knives following the death of her 22-year-old son, John McNab, in Leith in September 2025. She is campaigning for all knives to be placed in locked cabinets to crack down on shoplifting and ensure knife sales are carefully monitored.
Her campaigning work caught the attention of the media and people across north Edinburgh, who nominated her for the Community Champion Award.
She has also been distributing bleed kits across Edinburgh. Her work was recently recognised in the Scottish Parliament, where First Minister John Swinney committed to making the kits available at community hubs across Scotland.
On receiving her award, Lisa said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I didn’t expect it. I’m overwhelmed. “I started this to raise awareness and to save someone else from going through that, kids and adults. So I’m absolutely blown away by this.”
Lisa is now hoping to get into schools across Edinburgh to tell her story.
She said: “I think kids relate more to a realistic story than something from a textbook, so if I need to go around every school in Edinburgh to tell my story and John’s story, then I will.
“We’re looking at changing the law and we’ll keep pushing for bleed kits.”
In the Good Neighbour category, winner Joan Robertson, described by her neighbours as a “lifesaver in many ways”, was recognised for her kindness. Joan often goes above and beyond to look after her neighbours by taking in parcels, looking after pets and keeping contact details in case anything happens.
She was also nominated for Community Champion for her work in the wider Leith community, including at the Leith Polisbox.
On winning Good Neighbour, Joan said: “I’m absolutely gobsmacked.
“You just get on and do it. Do as you would be done by.”
The Community Group award was shared by the Girls Wellbeing Groups run by YMCA Edinburgh and the Pilmeny Development Project.
Girls attend the group for many reasons, including anxiety, stress, low confidence and friendship difficulties. The groups provide a safe space to develop confidence, friendships, self-care and life skills.
On receiving the award, Dawn Munro from YMCA Edinburgh, who runs the groups, said: “I think the girls will all be really chuffed with it.
“It’s really important to empower young girls with life skills. Our group is all about improving physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing. The world isn’t in a great place for young girls and women. But because our group starts at age eight, we can then transition the girls throughout the key stages of life.”
Nicola Hutchinson, from the Pilmeny Development Project, said: “We’ve worked hard to get the group to where it is and it’s nice to have some recognition in the community because it’s been going for over five years.”
Dawn and Nicola were joined by Robyn, who started out as an attendee at the Girls Wellbeing Group and now works with the group as a young volunteer.
The last award of the evening went to a group of Harbour tenants called the Leith Legends. The group set off on a 3,070-mile journey from Easter Road Stadium in January this year. Their challenge was to ‘March to the Match’ virtually by walking the distance from Edinburgh to Boston at locations around the city.
They finished in time for Scotland’s first World Cup game, then walked enough steps to get home again.
Heather Kiteley, chief executive of Harbour Homes, said: “The north Edinburgh Community Awards were a chance to bring people together for an evening of food, music, bingo and celebration.
“It was inspiring to see the incredible connections across the Leith and north Edinburgh communities and the strength of community spirit in the room.
“Every nominee and winner should be proud of the difference they make, and I am immensely grateful for the positive impact they have on the lives of our tenants and the wider community.”
A five-month campaign to bring more residents and visitors Leith and Newhaven, from the top of Leith Walk through Leith, The Shore and onwards to Newhaven, in response to the disruption to travel caused by the Princes St fire launched yesterday (1 October), developed by Forever Edinburgh, in collaboration with local businesses.
More by the Shore [edinburgh.org/morebytheshore] will feature three activations which aim to build awareness, inspiration and demand among residents and visitors for the wide range of unique local businesses and experiences in Newhaven and Leith from the top of the walk down to The Shore and everywhere in between.
A new illustration of the area has been created for the campaign by local artist Kate George, who is based at local arts centre Out of the Blue.
The three activations are More by the Shore Specials (1st October to 8th November), More by the Shore Sparkles (14th November-3rd January) and More by the Shore Savings (4th January-28 February).
Throughout the programme, residents and visitors can enjoy a range of offers, deals, exclusives, ‘double your money’ voucher opportunities in partnership with itison and a new iconic hero festive event to be announced in the coming weeks.
The first stage of the campaign, More by the Shore Specials, has been curated by Forever Edinburgh to showcase the unique dishes, drinks, products and experiences which are only available on Leith Walk and in Leith, The Shore and Newhaven.
Some have been created for the campaign and others already on their menus and shelves, alongside discounts, two-for-one deals and added-value offers.
Businesses taking part in the campaign include Leith Makers, The Royal Yacht Britannia and Fingal Hotel, Victoria Bar, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Loud & Clear, Pekoe Tea, Portal Leith, Griffen Fitness and Qupi Café.
More by the Shore then moves into two further stages, covering the festive season, one of the busiest trading periods of the year, and January and February, traditionally the quietest.
Both these stages will include a partnership with itison which sees Forever Edinburgh delivering a programme of 40,000 sponsored vouchers for use at participating businesses in the area.
Anyone spending £5 on a voucher will have their money doubled to receive a £10, and in the new year, Residents with an EH postcode can enjoy an enhanced voucher offering, spending £7.50 for a £15 voucher in return, with the cost of savings covered by the campaign.
More by the Shore Sparkles will include buy £5, get £10 back vouchers for both residents and visitors. Alongside this, there will be festive content, a new hero winter lighting event and local events to encourage footfall down Leith Walk, to the Shore and onto Newhaven.
More by the Shore Savings in the New Year will extend the voucher scheme, but exclusively for EH postcode holders in partnership with itison and Forever Edinburgh’s existing Resident Rewards scheme. It will also feature After 5, a content series which promotes the area’s evening offer, from winter menus and late openings to live music, screenings and creative workshops.
Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and JCDecaux are key partners in the campaign, with More by the Shore promoted across the city through bus and tram advertising and outdoor digital displays, alongside a full media campaign and new video and photography of the areas which will be shared for free with local businesses for use in their own marketing.
The initiative follows the fire on Princes Street on 9 July, which stopped trams running to Leith and Newhaven until 29 August. During and after this period footfall in Leith Walk, Leith and Newhaven fell significantly. More by the Shore will support businesses affected by the travel disruption and sets out to change the perception that the area is difficult to get to.
The activity aims to create immediate benefits by encouraging visits and spend during the autumn and winter period, while leaving a lasting legacy through increased awareness of Leith and Newhaven, stronger connections between audiences and the area, and campaign assets that can continue to support businesses beyond the campaign period.
Both bus and tram services provide convenient connections to the area from across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Trams operate from the city centre to Newhaven every 7 minutes, with the journey from Princes Street to The Shore taking around 17 minutes, and the journey from Princes Street to Newhaven taking approximately 27 minutes.
In addition to tram services, the bus network provides direct connections to the area from across the city, including local neighbourhoods such as Portobello and Granton.
Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, owner of the Victoria Bar on Leith Walk, said: “When the trams stopped, our trade dropped by around 10% almost overnight. The convenience of the trams makes visiting Leith and Newhaven easy and the area is very much worth visiting.
“The trams are back and there’s a lot happening here this autumn and winter, with Cocktail week in October, Victoria’s 20th Anniversary Month in November and some Scandinavian Hygge in December and January. Now’s the time to come and see us.”
Councillor Jane Meagher, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am delighted to see the campaign launching, promoting the fantastic shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses in Leith, the Shore and Newhaven.
“I know that businesses in these areas were severely affected by the disruption following the Princes Street fire, at a time of year that they usually rely on for an increase in sales.
“It is only right that we do all we can to help these businesses get back on their feet – which is why a large portion of the Scottish Government funding package has been set aside to support this.
“The campaign aims to encourage more people to visit and spend money in these wonderful areas of the city. From exclusive products, offers and discounts and special events, there’s something for everyone.
“We’ve worked with, and listened to, local businesses to bring the campaign to life, which I’m pleased to say will run all the way to the end of February.”
Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director at Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, said: “Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams are proud to support this campaign, encouraging residents and visitors to discover everything that Leith, The Shore and Newhaven have to offer.
“These vibrant destinations are home to a unique mix of attractions and independent local businesses, making them some of Edinburgh’s most exciting places to explore.
“Whether travelling by bus or tram, visitors can enjoy a convenient, seamless and sustainable journey, connecting them directly to the heart of the area. Through this partnership, we hope to inspire more people to leave the car at home, explore more of the city, and enjoy all that these thriving communities have to offer.”
More by the Shore is funded through the £5 million announced by the Scottish Government in August to support recovery from the Princes Street fire, administered by the City of Edinburgh Council.
More by the Shore is free for businesses to join. Around 30 have signed up so far from 50-plus expressions of interest and outreach by the Forever Edinburgh team.
There is still time for businesses to get involved – businesses interested in taking part in any or all activations can find out more and sign up at:
We’re calling on people all around the Firth of Forth coastline to join us and this is a special callout to folk in East Lothian who might be interested in organising or joining a beach clean along our coastline!
We already have a few beach cleans taking place in east Lothian, but we’d love to see even more communities getting involved!
When you register your beach clean, you’ll have the opportunity to add it to the Big Forth Cleanup map. You’ll also receive lots of useful information, including:
Top tips for beach cleaning
Information to help you plan your event
Guidance on waste disposal from your local authority
Every clean makes a difference, so why not get involved and help us make an even bigger impact along the East Lothian coastline?
£50,000 available in total
Apply by 12 noon on 30 November 2026
HELP BUILD NEW CROFTS AT TRINITY & CORSTORPHINE
SATURDAY 3rd OCTOBER 1 – 3pm 
1–3pm
The Heart of Newhaven
Food — especially tatties!
Meet the community
Creative activities
Fun contests
All ages welcome!
Top tips for beach cleaning
Guidance on waste disposal from your local authority
Register your beach clean and get involved! 