Our webinar on Local Place Plans – what could they mean for pedestrians? – takes place a week today: Monday, 23 February, at 3 – 4pm.
We are delighted to host Anna Grant, Edinburgh Council and Joanna McClelland, architect.
Aimed especially at community councils but everyone – groups or individuals – very welcome!
Register here! http://bit.ly/45KgofS
Thousands more people in England will be given the power to transform their communities as the government expands its pledge to restore pride in their local neighbourhood.
Local people in 40 new areas will be able to decide where up to £20 million is invested in their neighbourhood – whether that’s breathing new life into high streets, saving much-loved community spaces, or bringing people together through local events and activities.
The new package, worth up to £800 million, will build on the success of the £5 billion Pride in Place programme that has so far helped hundreds of neighbourhoods take control of their futures and bring real change to their communities.
In Rawtenstall, students have been asked to imagine their ideal town. In Hastings, board members have been out talking to people at park runs, festivals and supermarkets to hear what matters most to them.
The results are already visible. In Ramsgate, £500,000 secured the freehold of the town’s last remaining youth centre – saving it for generations to come.
In Elgin, Scotland, £1 million has been set aside to build a brand-new regional athletics hub, bringing sports clubs from across the northeast together under one roof.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “It is the same story in towns across the country. Youth clubs that have been abandoned, shops boarded up and high streets decimated.
“We must reverse the devastating decline in our communities and give power, agency and control to the very people who want to improve their community – those who have skin in the game.
“Through the Pride in Place Programme, communities – backed by the state and fired up by pride – will join the fight for national renewal and a Britain built for all.”
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “Pride in Place is about giving power to local people who know best what needs to change in their area.
“The ambitious plans we’re seeing take shape in communities across the country is proof that when you give local people the tools to do the job – things get better.”
More than just funding, the Pride in Place Programme represents a shift in power into the hands of local people who know their communities best. This builds on the rich tapestry across the country of community leaders, volunteers and grassroots organisations already working hard to support their communities and making them a better place to live for everyone.
Neighbourhood Boards, who oversee the funding allocated to their communities and are made up of local residents, are now up and running, listening to their communities and deciding where the money will go.
Crucially, Pride in Place is about establishing long-term change, and creating a legacy of community-centred action, delivery and empowerment which will last far beyond the decade long programme.
Today’s announcement will mean a total of around 380 areas will get funding, with the benefits rippling far beyond individual neighbourhoods, with thriving and more cohesive communities helping to build a stronger, more prosperous country for everyone.
THURSDAY 21st AUGUST 10am – 12.30pm
THIS Thursday, meet local politicians and council staff for a walk round the area, with a drink afterwards to discuss things you would like to see improve.
TOMORROW: SONGS OF PROTEST WORKSHOP
TUESDAY 19 AUGUST: PHOTOMONTAGE ART WORKSHOP
ALL WELCOME!
LOTTERY SUCCESS FOR THREE CAPITAL INITIATIVES
Projects working to improve the confidence and wellbeing of young people across Scotland are today (WEDNESDAY 5th FEBRUARY) sharing in £1,271,922 of Young Start funding this Children’s Mental Health Week.
The funding, which comes from dormant account cash and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, is used to support thousands of children and young people annually all over Scotland, many of whom face mental health and wellbeing issues.
Three Edinburgh projects receive funding in the latest round of grants:
Big Hearts Community Trust receives almost £85,000 to support the expansion of their Welcome Through Football initiative, using football to engage young refugees, migrants and asylum seekers aged 15-24 facing trauma, hardship and social
exclusion.
Across the city in Leith, Hibernian Community Foundation also score with £95,000 to support neurodivergent young people aged 16-25 to develop essential life skills by delivering a structured programme of activities and community participation. Over the next three years 240 young people are expected to take part and supported by 40 volunteers.
Making it a hat-trick for the capital is Castlebrae-based Edinburgh Development Group, who receive £100,000 to provide a three-year project, supporting neurodiverse and disabled young people, who are working towards employability.
Founded in 2005, Lochaber Hope supports young people facing crisis periods in their lives. In recent years the charity has concentrated its efforts on a number of peer support projects and activity groups which focus on the well-being and improvement of young people’s mental health and from this the Bright Minds Project was born.
Bright Minds is a local youth initiative, created for young people and guided by a youth advisory board. The project offers events and training opportunities, as well as campaigning for changes in mental health culture and advocating for better support systems for young people.
An award of £54,220 means they can help more young people like 24-year-old Shaun Wallace from Lochaber.
Shaun previously worked with the charity as a project assistant but left to go to college and study to be a veterinary care assistant. When he was going through a difficult time, Lochaber Hope offered him seven free counselling sessions.
Shaun explained: “I’ve always struggled with my mental health, all the way through high school I was dealing with anxiety, depression and bi-polar disorder.
“This would, at times lead to suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self- harm and did result in an incident where I had to be taken to hospital. Thankfully I decided to seek out support and this was the beginning of me getting better and going to counselling sessions provided by Lochaber Hope. I owe so much to Lochaber hope and don’t know where I would be today, if it wasn’t for them.
“I loved giving something back by helping at events and when the chance to get involved with the Bright Minds project came up, I was more than happy to. I might be the oldest in the group, but we all have big ambitions and I’m able to offer support and advice to the younger members of the group.
“We’re only small but we’re making a big impact. Ideally, I would love a lot more people to get involved and experience the huge changes in their lives that I have.”
Alyson Smith, Founder Manager, Lochaber Hope said: “Young Start has been a very special fund for Lochaber Hope.
“We can see how young people are better managing their mental health by building resilience and confidence, and we look forward to the events and activities they have organised that will be taking place over the coming months.”
Another organisation nurturing young people’s talent and wellbeing is Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre.
The north Glasgow based charity receives £100,000 to run its PROGRESS: Empowering Young People for Creative Careers project which provides a range of entry points and routes for training and employment for young people to enter the creative industries.
Jennifer Belle Baird, 25, from Glasgow, is a published writer but would never have dreamed of speaking in public before she joined Toonspeak three years ago.
Jennifer said: “I had gone through school living with anxiety and was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder at 14. Being part of the project I was able to get feedback in a supportive way, without criticism. It was so good for my self-confidence and helped rid me of imposter syndrome.
“There’s no pressure to perform because it’s not all about performance, they value all areas of creativity here. Being a writer can be so isolating and now I actually enjoy performing too. I’m a member of the Toonspeak performance collective, the Young Company and have even written a play for The Merchant City Festival.
“I now view myself as a working artist and hope to work in a theatre. I often think how lucky the younger people here are to have Toonspeak at their age, Hopefully I can continue being part of the organisation and my work can uplift younger people.”
Chi Nguyen, Funding Officer, Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Young Start.
This funding allows us to create life-changing opportunities for young people to develop skills, confidence, and networks in the creative industries. Already, PROGRESS is helping them take big steps toward their future careers, and we’re excited to see the continued impact this will have.”
The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “We are so pleased to announce our latest Young Start funding, which helps enable organisations to directly support the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
“Shaun and Jennifer’s stories are two examples of the many young people who’ve benefitted from Young Start funded projects and we are always keen to support more ideas. If your group has a project that could improve the lives of young people in Scotland, then we’d love to hear from you.”
“To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk “
See full list of projects: – Young Start Table of Awards February 2025 (1).pdf
We need you! In fact – YOU need you!
Parent Council works best with lots of people involved. So why not spare a few hours a month to join in and help on the committee?
You can get more involved in your child’s school, find out more about what they’re up to and contribute to how the school works.
You can decide how much time you want to spend on it.
We would love people to do anything, but in particular these jobs – which can all be shared:
So when you’re writing your New Year’s Resolutions, remember to add Parent Council!
Our first meeting of 2025 is online in January.
You can message us here or by email at intouch@broughtonhighpc.org
Do you have an idea that will make a difference to your local community? Apply now for a grant of up to £5,000 to make your idea a reality.
Please note the application deadline for the Community Grants Fund (CGF) has been extended to 5pm on Monday 16th December 2024. This is the last chance to apply for a grant this year.
You can apply for up to £5000 for community-based activity taking place in 2025. Areas with funding still available are: Almond, Craigentinny/Duddingston, Forth, Inverleith, Morningside, Pentlands, South West and Western.
The Community Grants Fund (CGF) is a small grants scheme provided by the City of Edinburgh Council. Grants of up to £5,000 can be awarded to constituted groups for community based activity.
The CGF was set up in 2007 to help fund projects that will benefit local communities. It is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to empowering citizens and supporting grassroots initiatives.
Alan Gordon, Secretary for Longstone Community Council, said of the fund: “The CGF is an accessible fund for local groups across the city to make good use of.
“It brings ideas to life, activities to communities and often makes the difference between something happening or not. If you have an idea for improving your community, the CGF can help it to blossom.”
There are 13 local pots of money, each covering a different area of the city.
In some areas the money for this financial year has already been allocated, but there are several areas where funds remain (see above).
For more information about how to apply and to check how much money is available in different areas, go to the Council’s CGF web pages.
If you require further information or help to apply, please email:
Invitation to Participate in Community Planning Transformation and Improvement Stakeholder Engagement Sessions
The Edinburgh Partnership agreed to look afresh at the role of Community Planning in Edinburgh to maximise the relationships between public sector agencies and the voluntary and community sectors to address poverty and inequality and the climate and nature emergency. We need your views to help shape the future of community planning in Edinburgh.
These sessions aim to bring together key partners to discuss, plan, and drive forward positive changes for communities. Your insights and contributions are highly valued, and we would be pleased if you could join us.
Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to book your place as soon as possible to secure your spot at your preferred session.
To register, please email communityplanning@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name, contact details, and the date of the session you would like to attend.
Thursday, 10th October | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Craigentinny Community Centre
or
Friday, 11th October | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre
or
Wednesday, 23rd October | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM | St. Bride’s Community Centre
or
Thursday, 24th October | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | West Pilton N/hd Centre
or online
Monday, 28th October | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Microsoft Teams
Background Information on the Edinburgh Partnership Transformation and Improvement Programme –
Please share the invitation with your networks.
To register, please email communityplanning@edinburgh.gov.uk with your name, contact details, and the date of the session you would like to attend.
Did you know 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of community ownership of land, assets and buildings in Scotland?
To celebrate this, and to mark North Edinburgh Arts coming into community ownership in 2022, we have commissioned a work from local textile artist Francia Boakye.
Francia will be weaving a set of baskets to carry our hopes and ambitions into the next 100 years of community ownership. Francia will be using a range of fabrics to represent the rich diversity of our local community. The many languages spoken across North Edinburgh will also be incorporated into the baskets, written on fabric woven into each piece.
The completed collection will be part of an exhibition in the Travelling Gallery touring Scotland between June and August this summer and will have a permanent home within the refurbished and expanded NEA building due for completion later this year.
If you live in North Edinburgh, we’d be delighted if you can take part in this project. Simply reply to this post with your hope for our community, and note additional languages spoken, or email these details to admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk by Friday 19 April 2024.
This project is supported by Creative Scotland and The National Lottery Heritage Fund
For more details, please see:
http://www.communitylandscotland.org.uk/…/community…/
http://frankfrancia.com/new-scots-textile-artist-and…/
What do you think makes a strong community?
How can we improve or change things for the better?
Are you interested in climate and environmental issues?
Your voice and opinion matters!
June 7th
Workshop 1 10.30 – 12.00 am
Workshop 2 7.00 – 8.30 pm
You are warmly invited to come along to a relaxed and informal workshop and be part of a conversation about these questions. We’ll have free refreshments on offer and the discussion will be supported by a couple of facilitators who will help guide the discussion. No previous knowledge is required, we simply hope you will bring along your thoughts, opinion insights and hopes for your community’s future.
Please let me know if you’d like to take part in one of these sessions by emailing lynne.porteous@heartofnewhaven.co.uk and letting me know whether the morning or evening workshop works best for you. Please also let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements.
This event is organised by Restoration Forth, Heart of Newhaven and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to gather information on community resilience. Your contribution is voluntary and confidential, but the anonymised results from discussions will be used to build a better picture of people’s perceptions, attitudes and practices around the Firth of Forth and the local community
