Craigroyston YFC 2013 year group are trying to raise funds to attend a big football tournament in Craig Tara.
It’s a big cost for parents who may struggle to go but don’t want to let their kid to miss out. We have 4 mile sponsored walk, race night, bake sale, raffles and loads of other things happening but one of the mum’s has also set up a crowdfunding page.
You’ can find out more and make a donation here:
· £1million raised in ongoing crowdfund for mass ownership of Highlands Rewilding
· Money raised comes from 622 investors, over 40% of whom are Scottish residents
· The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors by 16 May
Highlands Rewilding, a pioneering Scottish project focused on scaling nature recovery and community prosperity through rewilding, has secured £1 million through its crowdfunding campaign, three weeks before it is set to close on 16 May 2023.
The company operates a frontier rewilding model that allows citizen rewilders to invest from between £50 to £200,000 to co-own rewilding land, earning a potential 5% return. This mass ownership approach has proved popular with smaller and larger investors alike, since it launched at the beginning of December 2022, despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Many founding funders who engaged with the company during its establishing year have also reinvested in Highlands Rewilding’s crowdfund, in a strong show of support for its pioneering project.
The £1 million has been raised by 622 ‘citizen rewilders’, 43% of whom live in Scotland, testament to the groundswell of support for nature restoration which is actively combatting climate meltdown and biodiversity collapse. The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors in the crowdfund by the end of the campaign. Larger investors have also joined forces to raise many millions more, helping Highlands Rewilding expand its operations and take rewilding to scale in Scotland.
Further supporting the ambitions of Highlands Rewilding, this month the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) committed £12 million to support the acquisition of Tayvallich Estate, a 1,300-hectare estate in Argyll.
The funding boost marked UKIB’s first deal exclusively in Scotland and will contribute to enabling Highlands Rewilding to develop new natural capital and revenue models on the Tayvallich Estate, and create an exemplar of community-company synergy.
Dr. Jeremy Leggett, CEO of Highlands Rewilding, said: “We are delighted to be hitting such a key milestone in our fight against biodiversity collapse and climate meltdown.
“We aim to play a lead role in the great diversion of investment from ruin to restoration, through rewilding.
The more citizen rewilders invest at the £50 to £100 level, the more the financial institutions are likely to invest at the £50 million to £100 million level. Hitting the £1 million mark in our crowdfund shows that our model is working in offering tangible hope, not just for nature but also community prosperity.
“Tayvallich is a new opportunity which has arisen since the start of our fundraising campaign. The success of our crowdfund and off-platform fundraise to date, has enabled us to sign a contract for the unique Tayvallich estate and expand our rewilding and decarbonisation work to three sites.
“Each site – Bunloit, Beldorney and Tayvallich – is unique in their own right, but together they are a powerhouse for Scottish nature recovery, and a beacon of hope for the global biodiversity treaty, recently agreed by 200-plus governments.”
With three weeks to go, Highlands Rewilding is inviting investors to join it during its scaling campaign, that moves beyond the simple protection of nature towards nature recovery and restoration in Scotland, and later, beyond.
As with any investment, those interested in the Highlands Rewilding project are encouraged to make sure they fully understand the process, what their investment means, and the potential risks of investing.
Find out more about Highlands Rewilding and the crowdfund here:
Highlands Rewilding, Scotland’s 2,000-acre project focused on combating biodiversity collapse and climate meltdown, has raised over 50% of its £500,000 target in less than three weeks.
The crowdfund for mass ownership of the company Launched on 1st December and runs until the end of February. Exactly £271,320 (54.26%) has been raised from 239 investors, 98 of which are Scottish, so far.
The crowdfund’s milestone comes as the historic 30×30 deal at COP15 has been agreed, with 196 countries agreeing to the deal which aims to conserve 30% of the land, freshwater and ocean globally by 2030.
The Highlands Rewilding project intends to serve as an example of how citizen projects can help support the Scottish government reach their ambitious climate and biodiversity targets which are set on reversing nature loss by 2030 and substantially restoring and regenerating biodiversity by 2045.
Dr Jeremy Leggett, Founder and CEO of Highlands Rewilding, said: “We have been blown away and so encouraged by the support we have received from the nation’s citizen rewilders so far and thank every single investor for their support. Every pound really does count in enabling us to grow and expand the Highlands Rewilding model. We hope many more Scots will choose to join us in our quest.
“There has never been a more pivotal time for the nation to consider how nature recovery can support our world’s future, especially as the thirty-by-thirty deal has been reached at COP15 which makes a giant leap in conserving our land, freshwater and ocean globally. It acts as a hopeful exemplar of how grassroots projects, like Highlands Rewilding, can help governments meet their targets to safeguard vital ecosystems by the end of the decade.”
The ambitious Highlands Rewilding project, which stretches over 2,000 acres across two estates in the Scottish Highlands – Bunloit Estate in Inverness and Beldorney Estate in Aberdeenshire, – is pursuing a business model to scale nature recovery like no other.
As the project’s crowdfund and fundraising efforts continue, the Highlands Rewilding science team have released their second Natural Capital Report which uses cutting-edge methods, from satellites, to drone-based and ground-based sensors, eDNA analysis, and detailed observational work by ecologists, to assess biodiversity habitats and carbon stocks.
The results give an unprecedented insight into the Bunloit and Beldorney estates, and the methods that can be used to maximise benefits for the environment and the planet’s future prosperity.
Dr Jeremy Leggett added “Our Natural Capital Report provides us with a rich source of natural capital data which covers a variety of habitats so that we can better understand where efforts should be concentrated to harness and maximise carbon sources.
“In our continued efforts of producing high-quality, evidence-based data on natural capital quantification, our hope is that our work will begin to feed into the ongoing policymaking process in government to generate the best possible outcomes to support our nation’s long-term climate goals.
“After two and a half years of operations in our start phase, we have a strong and growing team, deep roots in our local communities, and a rapidly expanding core of cutting-edge science. Our intention is to become a world-class open laboratory for natural-capital verification science and demonstrate that natural capital can be grown verifiably for planet, people, and profit, both in wildland and actively managed land.”
It is hoped that £500,000 will be raised through the crowdfund by ‘citizen rewilders’. Investments are also expected from equity investors and financial institutions. No funding limit has been set for the entirety of the Highlands Rewilding fundraiser, but the organisation is aiming to raise at least eight million plus.
As with any investment, we encourage those interested in our project to make sure they fully understand the process, what their investment means and the potential risks of investing.
Find out more about the Highlands Rewilding and the crowdfund here:
https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/crowdfund
You can download a copy of the Natural Capital Report here:
MAY NEWSLETTER
First of all, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to our recent Crowdfunder campaign.
This is to be put towards the costs of sprucing up the building once we get the keys. Lots of volunteers are of course already hard at work getting ready for the big day, making inventories and moving furniture, all essential logistical work.
Soon, it really will be “all hands on deck” as we start with the paintbrushes and the trowels and we’ll be calling on even more help on the ground then.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t already given, the Crowdfunder is still open for donations.
Did you know however that you can gift to our charity at any time you like, or even on a regular basis?
All you have to do is go to our website and follow the links.
You can donate online directly to our bank or you can send a cheque if you prefer.
All the details are on the website here
Now that the weather is improving, remember our big Picnic in the Park, to be held in Victoria Park on Sunday 19th June, between 12.30 and 3.30pm.
Inspired by the Eden Project’s Big Lunch, this is being held in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. Bring a picnic and enjoy meeting your neighbours. Take part in the fun races and games or take advantage of the plants and books swap tables. There will even be an (optional) fancy dress competition for children and pets – with prizes!
New initiatives
Thanks to successful applications to the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund 2022, The Arnold Clark Community Fund and the People’s Postcode Trust, we have successfully achieved funding to help connect and bring people together. This is the aim of the following two new projects.
Reminiscence training
We know that sharing stories and memories is valuable in preserving not just family history but social history and brings people of different generations together through understanding and sharing. It’s also enjoyable and rewarding.
If you’re interested in reminiscence and recording people’s stories and memories, then we have funding for training in reminiscence work which will be led by the Living Memory Association.
Do get in touch with: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk or christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you would like to take part.
Pots of kindness
The second project is an expansion of our earlier Pots of Kindness. That project was so well received that we are going to run another.
This time, as well as primary school children, we are inviting young people of 16+ to get involved.
We will supply the seeds, pots and compost. All you do is plant the seeds and write a short letter to an elderly recipient. We’ll deliver the planted pots with their accompanying letters to the elderly or isolated within the community.
It’s a wonderful way to bring the generations together.
Get in touch with judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you know a young person who would like to get involved.
Annual General Meeting
Finally, we are due to hold our next AGM shortly, probably towards the end of June. If you’ve not become a member, consider doing so now, before the meeting, so that you have the right to vote.
There are two types of membership depending on where you live and you can find out all about it on the website page.
Remember to check the website and our social media regularly for updates and blogs.
While we were celebrating our 35 Years of Play and planning our Christmas celebrations, we didnt know we had yet another challenge coming our way this year.
On the 7th of December, The Yard Edinburgh was a victim of vandalism. On Tuesday, a fire was deliberately initiated in the boardwalk, damaging the grounds, outdoors electric systems and the door of the Solar Dome.
We are devastated and currently doing our best to have affected areas repaired as soon as possible, which will be a costly process. Luckily, no one was harmed and damage was contained.
Services were suspended on Tuesday, but we reopened the following day. We are still going ahead with our Christmas celebrations as scheduled, but families will not be able to access some areas for a while which will reduce the quality of play experience we pride ourselves for at The Yard.
Despite this heartbreaking news, we are confident that we’ll come out to the other side stronger, as we always have.
Please support us today if you can and donate as much or as little as you can. Every donation will help us rise stronger and continue to be there for the families that use The Yard.
To see how you can help following the link:
After an extraordinary 25 days, the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe has drawn to a close, having brought artists, arts industry, media and audiences together once again to celebrate the magic of live performance.
This year, the Fringe looked very different. For the first time, audiences were able to engage with work both online and in-person, with performers, creators and producers embracing new ways to keep performance in our hearts and minds.
Shows happened in car parks, racecourses, tents and forests. There were brave new works-in-progress; exciting revivals; reimagined classics; solo shows; family-friendly shows; international showcases; sketch shows; interactive digital works; outdoor site-specific shows; walking tours; immersive experiences and late-night, mixed-bill, laugh-a-minute shows.
Some performers took the stage for the first time in 18 months, while others used the festival as a way of reconnecting with fellow artists and industry professionals.
There was support for arts professionals in new ways – with Fringe Connect offering a professional development, workshop and networking space for artists and industry, and Fringe Marketplace providing a digital platform to showcase export ready professional work from across the Fringe to delegates from around the world.
Our Street Events programme looked different, but was just as joy-filled as always, with everything from magic to live music happening in safe, managed locations from West Parliament Square to the Mound.
Street performers also went into communities across Edinburgh, while the Fringe Society worked with over 30 charities and community groups to distribute Fringe vouchers and Lothian bus tickets to give people the opportunity to experience the Fringe either in person or online.
The Fringe Society continued its commitment to accessibility. There was BSL interpretation of the street events at West Parliament Square, and a bespoke access bookings service on offer for customers who require it.
This Fringe was also a big step forward for sustainability. More performers marketed their shows digitally, through QR codes, social media and more. Our online strand meant less travel and a reduced carbon footprint for some participating artists, audiences and industry, extending our global reach even further.
We also strengthened the Fringe’s place in our local community. This year, over a third of audiences were from Edinburgh, and a further 17% were from the rest of Scotland. 44% were from the wider United Kingdom. Artists and creatives local to Scotland also added their stories to stages and screens in greater proportions than we have seen in recent years.
But that didn’t happen at the expense of the festival’s founding open access principle. 38 countries were represented on the Fringe this year, with work from nine countries featured as part of international showcases taking place. There was also increased international representation in proportion to the overall programme.
Commenting on this year’s festival, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Traditionally, this day in the Fringe calendar is all about statistics: how many shows took place, how many tickets were bought, and what that means.
“But this year, I’d like to stop defining success by scale. For me, that’s never been what makes the Fringe special. Success should be defined by the quality of experience we’ve all had – and what we’re hearing from performers and audiences alike is that this year’s Fringe has been hugely successful indeed.
“When registration opened in May, we had no way of knowing for sure what this summer would look like. Today, we celebrate every single show that has been brought to life. I’d like to personally thank and congratulate everyone that made it happen, as well as our audiences, sponsors and supporters who have cheered us on and offered much-needed support through this wild and unexpected year.
“We’ve still got work to do to ensure the Fringe recovers – but recovery isn’t about growth in the statistical sense. It’s about growth as a Fringe community. As we move forward with our Save the Fringe campaign and continue to champion this festival and the wider arts, we’ll be calling on everyone to help us shape what the future of this fantastic festival holds.”
Benny Higgins, Chair, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “I’d like to offer huge congratulations to everyone that made this festival happen in the most challenging of circumstances.
“I’ve been blown away by the commitment, creativity and talent of those that have worked tirelessly to bring the magic of the Fringe back to Edinburgh’s streets – and for the first time – to screens around the world.
“As we look to the Fringe’s 75th anniversary in 2022, I am looking forward to being part of a wider conversation about how we make this festival the very best version of itself. This year proved that a small amount of public sector investment can bring about positive change, and it’s crucial that investment in this hugely important festival continues. The Fringe has a big role to play in our recovery, and as we look to build a renaissance for the Fringe in the future, we’ll keep working to support those that make it happen.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “It’s been a fantastic month, seeing the phased return of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and seeing Edinburgh locals and visitors get to enjoy what Edinburgh does best.
“As official whisky of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Johnnie Walker has celebrated the month with our residence ‘The Fringe Club’ on The Mound throughout the festival and gifting lucky festival-goers with exclusive prizes. We’ve our eyes firmly on the future, opening our doors to Johnnie Walker Princes Street on 6 September and joining in the celebrations once again in 2022.”
Next year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from 05 – 29 August 2022. It will mark the 75th anniversary of the festival.
SPONSORS and SUPPORTERS
As a charity, the work of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society would not be possible without the valuable support of our partners, sponsors and funders.
We are delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for the third year running as our official whisky partner.
We are proud to be partnering with the newly opened St James Quarter and are excited to be working with them this year and beyond.
We are excited to be partnering with Crowdfunder again through our FringeMakers fundraising platform, supporting Fringe artists and venues with vital fundraising efforts.
We have teamed up with Rare Birds Books to a create a limited-edition book bundle with books selected by the women behind three of the Fringe’s most iconic venues; Rowan Campbell, the General Manager of Summerhall, Dani Rae, the General Manager of Assembly and Katy Koren, who co-runs Gilded Balloon. Proceeds of the sale of this bundle will support go directly to supporting Fringe artists bring work to the Fringe.
We would also like to thank Lothian Buses for their continued support of our Fringe Days Out programme.
We’re thrilled to welcome Edinburgh Gin on board as Official Gin of the Fringe and look forward to working with them.
We are grateful for funding through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government -through Creative Scotland -the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals Edinburgh; Scottish Government for Made in Scotland through the Festivals Expo Fund – managed through Creative Scotland – and the continued support of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thanks also to Scottish Government for funds from their Get into Summer campaign.
We are grateful for funding from the Pivotal Event Business Fund, the SCVO Adapt and Thrive programme, the Foyle Foundation and the UK Government to enhance our digital capabilities.
Our thanks also to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Pump House Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust.
With thanks to EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council for supporting Street Events.
Thank you to Brightcove, our streaming partners, for their support in delivering the Fringe Player.
Our thanks also to our Fringe Angels, Patrons, Friends and supporters whose passion and generosity made a real difference this year.
HIDDEN Door has announced details of more than 20 visual art graduates whose work will feature at this year’s festival.
The news comes as a crowdfunder to help transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition space for the graduates’ work reaches 20% of its target.
With last year’s festival cancelled due to the pandemic, the 2021 event is taking place mostly outdoors, in the shadow of the Granton Gasworks in North Edinburgh. But with the addition of the huge warehouse, just over the road from the main festival site, the footprint of the festival is effectively doubled.
To support the plans, Hidden Door have launched a crowdfunder to raise £10,000, with supporters able to pick from a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts from Acorn Print Studio, VIP passes for the festival and limited edition prints by Hidden Door artists.
The visual artists taking part in the Hidden Door Graduate Exhibition are:
Adela Kaluzinska, Alliyah Enyo, Becky Brewis, Cara Kennedy, Csian Jemecel Canave, Eilidh Nicoll, Elvey Stedman, Jack Waygood, Josie KO, Katelyn Grant, Keziah Macneill, Kirsten Millar, Leah Moodie, Madeleine Kaye, Martha Stefani-Bose, Martin Crawford, Mclaughlin + Williamson, Miriam Levi, Molly Kent, Paria Goodarzi, Rhona Sword, Sam M Harley, Scott Hunter and Verity Church.
They all graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Grays School of Art, University of Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Edinburgh Napier University in 2020 or 2021.
The artists were chosen from Hidden Door’s Graduate Support Network, launched earlier this year to support recent graduates. These artists will be paid for their work through the proceeds raised from this year’s Crowdfunder. For many of them, it will be their first paid creative opportunity.
Jill Martin Boulalaxai, Visual Art Curator, said: “Hidden Door is committed to supporting emerging creative talent, providing a platform for showcasing work and collaborative projects.
“The graduate exhibition at this year’s festival is the first of many exciting opportunities being made available through our Graduate Support Network. We really hope people will get on board with our vision and help us transform this incredible space.”
Opening daily from Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 September, the Granton Gasworks site will feature two stages for live music and other performances, with dynamic lighting on the giant gasholder to be programmed in time with the music to create a stunning visual experience for festival-goers.
The neighbouring warehouse will be home to the art exhibition and a number of performances.
Last week we revealed our plan to transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition and performance space as part of Hidden Door 2021.
With this year’s festival taking place outdoors at the old Granton Gasworks, we now have the chance to use a nearby warehouse as well, if we can raise the funds to make it happen.
The additional venue will double the footprint of the festival this September and allow us to exhibit the work of recent art graduates whose degree shows were cancelled due to COVID-19.
The graduates, proud parents and audience members alike will be able to immerse themselves in the exhibition experience whilst staying safe and covid-compliant.
To support the plans, we have now launched a Kickstarter campaign with a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts, VIP passes for the festival, limited edition art prints and lots more.
This will only be possible with your help, so please take a look at the campaign and support us if you can … thank you x
We are Team ESTEEM, a Heriot-Watt student team participating in the world’s largest design and construction competition, the Solar Decathlon Middle East where we designed and currently build a solar-powered sustainable house of the future.
https://www.solardecathlonme.com
We wanted to share with you that we started our assembly on campus in Edinburgh!
You can visit us by registering through this link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/visit-our-prototype-in-edinburgh-tickets-160216719521.
We would love to talk to you while admiring the product of our collaboration – the ESTEEM house!
We have also now created a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to cover the following expenses: –
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/team-esteem-solar-powered-timber-home#/
Team ESTEEM is hosting an online conference where participants will be able to listen to panels about innovation in construction and network with industry experts, technology focused companies and ESTEEM representatives.
The event takes place on Wedneday July 28th at 12pm on Airmeet platform.
See above for details
You can register through this link:
https://www.airmeet.com/e/e1643330-e565-11eb-9f2c-7d15f8f5c297
As you may or may not be aware our minibus was stolen on 24/03/2021, although the police are currently looking for it, we are under no illusion that it is highly unlikely that we will have it recovered.
As such we have started a fundraising page so that we can attempt to attain a new minibus for the children who attend our care.
https://totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/necminibus
We also had a people carrier for many years and it was only in February that the insurance had to write that off due to vandalism so we have lost both of our vehicles within two months and we now have no transport for the children at all.
As a charity this is totally devastating and would ask that if you can help in these terribly hard times then please do. We really appreciate any amount, small or large.
Any donations big or small would be very much appreciated
https://totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/necminibus…
North Edinburgh Childcare
