Friday is deadline day for North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund

£10,000 Community Fund launched to support North Edinburgh organisations

  • Cruden delivers new grant opportunity as part of wider Granton Waterfront regeneration

A new £10,000 Community Benefits Fund, supported by Cruden and the City of Edinburgh Council, is open for applications. The flexible funding pot is available to third sector organisations operating in North Edinburgh, offering the opportunity to apply for financial grants or building and landscaping support to help improve local services and community spaces.

The deadline for applications is this Friday – 25th April.

The fund has been launched in connection with Cruden’s delivery of 143 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social and mid-market rent at Silverlea – part of the city’s wider regeneration ambitions for Granton Waterfront. The homes will include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom properties, including wheelchair-accessible accommodation.

Applications for the Community Benefits Fund will be accepted until Friday, April 25, 2025. Organisations can apply for up to £3,000 in grant funding or equivalent Cruden-delivered services (for individual applicants) or up to £5,000 in grant funding or equivalent Cruden-delivered services (for group partnerships).

Cruden has collaborated closely with R2, a network of organisations in North Edinburgh that focuses on partnership working, knowledge sharing, and generating lasting positive change for the local community, to create the fund.

This collaboration has ensured that the fund is closely aligned with the specific needs of the area.

Applications will be assessed based on their alignment with local priorities that promote partnership collaboration and demonstrate a long-term commitment to North Edinburgh. Special emphasis will be placed on initiatives that enhance the local food economy, promote anti-racism efforts, improve green spaces and public areas, and provide support and training for third-sector staff.

Michael Palethorpe, Production and Community Benefit Manager at Cruden, said: “Working closely with the North Edinburgh community, including the incredibly helpful R2 and City of Edinburgh Council, has been essential in shaping a fund that delivers real, lasting impact.

“This initiative ensures that support goes directly to the organisations and groups who are making a tangible difference on the ground. 

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for local people and charities to receive a valuable cash boost or practical support to bring their ideas to life and continue enhancing the area for everyone who lives there.”

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Community development funds matter hugely because they are a community benefit directly related to new housing being built.

“In addition to much needed new housing, I welcome funding from the developers that contributes to community projects and initiatives.”

The North Edinburgh Community Benefits Fund is part of a larger initiative to ensure that regeneration projects provide lasting value to the communities they serve.

This pilot scheme is administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, with support from local stakeholders, including R2.

Cutting sods at Silverlea: Work begins on former care home site

Council Leader Cammy Day was joined by Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden and architects Smith Scott Mullan as work got underway on the development of143 energy efficient social and mid-market rent properties.

In partnership with Cruden, the project will deliver a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes across the site, including wheelchair accessible accommodation.

Work will include upgrades to greenspace and the main footpath linking Salveson Cresent and Marine Drive to create safer, easier access to the shorelines. Plans also include a new Pavilion for Craigroyston Community Football club.

The development is part of the £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration which will create a new residential-led mixed-use community and will deliver around 3,500 net zero carbon homes, a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space, and a new coastal park.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: It was great to attend the sod-cutting ceremony at the Silverlea site today as we marked the beginning of construction on this exciting development here in Edinburgh.

“We’re facing a Housing Emergency so we must continue to build more affordable housing to address our chronic shortage.

“To deliver our net zero targets for the Capital, sustainable regeneration is so important, and every element of this development has been designed with that in mind. I’m delighted that plans also include a new Pavillion for Craigroyston Community Football Club which will be a real asset to the community.

“The project forms part of the wider £1.3bn regeneration of the Granton area where we’re unlocking brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood. We’re continuing to work hard to ensure Granton is somewhere residents will be proud to live and I look forward to seeing progress continue throughout this year.”

Fraser Lynes, MD of Cruden, added: “Silverlea is a great example of development with sustainability and community at its heart, and we are thrilled to be involved in the delivery of this transformational project.

“The City of Edinburgh Council must be commended in bringing forward these much needed social and mid-market homes amid the capital’s housing emergency, and for specifying them to net zero carbon standards, making them greener, cleaner and more efficient to heat and run.  

“During this development, we’re looking forward to providing the new pavilion for Craigroyston Boys Club, carefully re-using the Griffens from the historic Muirhouse Mansion, as well as delivering an important programme of new tree planting and a wildflower meadow to enhance local greenspace.”

The progress is the latest in the Granton Waterfront regeneration with work already well underway on several other projects in the area.

Over 400 net zero homes at Western Villages as well as 75 net zero homes at ‘Granton D1’ are currently under construction.