You asked, we listened! Following feedback from pantry users, our new pantry opening times are:
Monday 9 – 12.30pm
Tuesday 9 – 12.30pm
Wednesday 3.30 – 6pm
Friday 9 – 12.30pm
Please vote for Fresh Start for the Community Action Scottish Charity Award at the Scottish Charity Awards 
It takes 2 seconds to vote, just click through the link below –
Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the best of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
This year’s shortlist includes 32 individuals and organisations from charities and voluntary groups across the country following a record-breaking number of nominations. While a judging panel will determine the winners under nine distinct categories, members of the public can have their say by voting for their favourite overall entry in the People’s Choice Award – by visiting scvo.scot/vote – before 5pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023.
Edinburgh Science has been recognised as a finalist in the ‘Climate Conscious’ category and are encouraging those in Edinburgh to vote for them.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Science said: “Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of our time but we believe that if we all work together we can build a better future for everyone.
“Edinburgh Science has been dedicated to taking climate action for many years now, from empowering our Edinburgh Science Festival audiences, supporting small businesses and organisations to build their own carbon management plans with The NetZeroToolkit and even with senior business leaders and decision-makers through our Climate Co-Lab meetings.
“We are proud to be shortlisted for this important award – it really does mean the world to us.”
The 2023 Scottish Charity Awards winners will be announced at a celebratory awards ceremony in Edinburgh on 23 June 2023 – hosted by TV presenter Sally Magnusson.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of SCVO, said: “This year’s Scottish Charity Awards are a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the exceptional individuals and groups within our vibrant sector.
“This year’s record-breaking number of nominations underlines the strength of Scotland’s voluntary sector, and the crucial work that we see from charities and voluntary organisations across the country. The hard work and dedication of people and organisations like these 32 finalists are making Scotland a better place to live and work.
“There is still a chance to have your own voice heard by voting in the People’s Choice Award. Don’t be late – participate!
To view the full list of finalists, visit the SCVO website.
Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the best of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
This year’s shortlist includes 32 individuals and organisations from charities and voluntary groups across the country. While a judging panel will determine the winners under nine distinct categories, members of the public can have their say by voting for their favourite overall entry in the People’s Choice Award – by visiting scvo.scot/vote – before 5pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023.
There are eight Edinburgh-based organisation and individual finalists:
Winners will be announced on 23 June 2023 in a celebratory awards ceremony hosted by broadcaster Sally Magnusson at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “The Scottish Charity Awards are a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the exceptional individuals and groups within our vibrant sector.
“This year’s record-breaking number of nominations underlines the strength of Scotland’s voluntary sector, and the crucial work that we see from charities and voluntary organisations across the country. The hard work and dedication of people and organisations like these 32 finalists are making Scotland a better place to live and work.
“There is still a chance to have your own voice heard by voting in the People’s Choice Award. Don’t be late – participate!”
The full shortlist is:
Campaign of the year
Volunteer of the year
Pioneering project
Employee of the year
Community Action
Climate Conscious
Trustee of the year
Digital Citizens
Charity of the year
Gather together with Fresh Start for a FREE community meal tomorrow (Friday 12th f May) at lunch time!
Enjoy laughs, chats and a hot meal served up with tasty cheddar at this special event from Galloway Cheddar Family Favourites and FareShare
Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the best of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
This year’s shortlist includes 32 individuals and organisations from charities and voluntary groups across the country. Among those nominees are West-Pilton based Fresh Start, who have been shortlisted in the Community Action category.
While a judging panel will determine the winners under nine distinct categories, members of the public can have their say by voting for their favourite overall entry in the People’s Choice Award – by visiting scvo.scot/vote – before 5pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023.
The full shortlist includes:
Campaign of the year
Volunteer of the year
Pioneering project
Employee of the year
Community Action
Climate Conscious
Trustee of the year
Digital Citizens
Charity of the year
Winners will be announced on 23 June 2023 in a celebratory awards ceremony hosted by broadcaster Sally Magnusson at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “The Scottish Charity Awards are a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the exceptional individuals and groups within our vibrant sector.
“This year’s record-breaking number of nominations underlines the strength of Scotland’s voluntary sector, and the crucial work that we see from charities and voluntary organisations across the country.
“The hard work and dedication of people and organisations like these 32 finalists are making Scotland a better place to live and work.
“There is still a chance to have your own voice heard by voting in the People’s Choice Award. Don’t be late – participate!”
Check out this freshly painted mural outside Fresh Start in West Pilton 
National Galleries of Scotland have been working with residents and artists Fraser Gray and Eva Paredes to create this stunning artwork, inspired by the work the charity does to support the local community.
The mural is part of NGS’ work to build stronger relationships with people and organisations in North Edinburgh, where The Art Works will be based.
The mural also features some artworks inspired by the national collection – see if you can spot them!
Please share with your networks, co-workers and anyone you work with who could benefit from Everyday English classes, held in a welcoming and informal setting at Fresh Start Hub, 28-30 Ferry Road Drive.
Tuesday mornings – 9.15am-10.45am – Improvers English
Thursday mornings – 10am-12pm – Beginners English
These classes are run by qualified ESOL teachers and are designed to help people practice learning English at beginner level (Thursdays) and at intermediate level (Tuesdays)
Attendance is not mandatory, but it is useful if people wish to practice and progress.
For more information and to sign people up, email abigail@freshstartweb.org.uk
You have five votes – but you must vote by 12th March.
Dozens of organisations have applied for a share of the £100,00 budget. Here are just a few of the projects looking for your support:
We need your votes for the CCC project ‘Seedlings to Seniors’ to get a share in the Edinburgh Community Climate Fund.
Full details of how to vote are on our website here :
https://corstorphinecommunitycentre.org.uk
or go straight to the Council page listing the projects at:
https://yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk/budgets/1/investments
Note: registration with mygovscot is required in order to vote.
Hey Edinburgh community!
The voting for the Edinburgh Community Climate Fund from The City of Edinburgh Councilis open and our project, Edinburgh Climate Festival is a part of it.
We need your help to make The Edinburgh Climate Festival a reality, so please vote for our project today!
You have 5 votes to support not only our project but other outstanding ones as well.
Here’s a guide on how to vote for The Edinburgh Climate Festival:
Step one: If you’re an adult, register on myaccount https://www.mygov.scot/myaccount to cast your vote. This is a secure online portal that provides access to various public services using a single login ID and password. You can find a registration guide on the Edinburgh Council website. Young people under 18 can vote through Young Scot https://getyournec.scot/ using their Young Scot NEC number.
Step two: Once your account is active, visit Your Voice website : https://yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk/ and sign in using your myaccount details.
Help us create a sustainable future for Edinburgh!
#VoteNow#SustainabilityMatters#GreenerEdinburgh
We are a parent council groups that’s passionate able helping the children learn and thrive in the community.
This project will enable us to create a forest school within the school grounds, giving the whole school the ability to learn more about climate through hands on learning.
We will also be looking to add to the schools existing orchard with some raised beds for the children to grow food and learn about sustainable practice. We also plan on linking up with the local community centre to support the garden project.
Since 1999 Fresh Start has been supporting people moving on from homelessness to ‘make a home for themselves’ across Edinburgh. Responding to people with lived experience of homelessness we provide practical support as people move on from temporary accommodation into new unfurnished tenancies.
Our service-users typically are allocated unfurnished properties and do not have the means to purchase the goods that make a home. Fresh Start provides Starter Packs of essential household goods – crockery, pots/pans, bedding, towels – to homeless households within the first 3 days of them moving in to their new tenancies, relieving financial burden and ensuring they have the essentials they need to settle in their new home.
We supply 13 different Starter Packs of quality used-household goods which are donated by the public and local businesses. Teams of volunteers gather in these donations and sort them in our warehouse for distribution.
In 2022 we distribute 14,430 packs and helped over 2,000 people moving out of temporary Housing. We diverted 75,500 kg (75.5 t.) of goods from landfill.
Vote for the North Edinburgh Arts Community Shed and support our ambitions for a more sustainable future!
Our Community Shed has been nominated for The City of Edinburgh Council‘s Edinburgh Community Climate Fund, and you can vote for it as part of the public participatory budgeting process until 12th March.
The primary focus of the Community Shed is to reuse wood and wooden furniture to enable our members to make and mend things for their homes, gardens and communities. Each year in Scotland we throw away tons of stuff into landfill, including wood and furniture, that should be recycled, reused, mended or made into something completely different and the Community Shed does its bit to convert this waste into useful and beautiful things.
Since its launch four years ago, the Shed has become a key community project in North Edinburgh with over 150 members. Being part of the Community Shed has a significantly positive impact on our members’ lives by improving their self-confidence, giving them meaning and purpose, making new friends and social connections, as well as providing them with an informal support network.
The Edinburgh Community Climate funding will enable us to purchase new much-needed technical equipment to cut and process wood, which will help speed up our processes while also significantly improving the quality of our output.
Please support our work and help create a greener community by casting your vote today!
This is a chance for you to decide how the Edinburgh Council money is spent on things that matter to you and your community.
Vote online at yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk/budgets/1/investments/10 by using/creating your own account.
For those under 18 wishing to vote this can be done through Young Scot using your Young Scot NEC number. School libraries will be offering supported voting too.
If you would like to vote in person, please visit your local library.
For information for our local residents, Muirhouse Library is currently located in the foyer of Edinburgh College Granton campus near Morrisons (350 West Granton Road), and its opening times are as follows:
Monday – Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Make sure you vote before 12 March.
Thank you for your support, and please share with your friends and families as every vote counts! 
The All Aboard canal boat run by People Know How and Polwarth Parish Church has been shortlisted in the Edinburgh Climate Community Fund to receive funding to run climate change sessions with children and young people on the Union Canal.
These organisations are now looking for votes from the public, which will decide the final projects that will receive the funding.
The climate change sessions will focus on engaging children and young people with nature and the local environment and exploring the impact of climate change. Using fun and engaging activities, we will introduce them to small everyday actions that they can take at home and in their community to help tackle climate change.
The sessions will be open to pupils from local primary schools that People Know How work with as part of their Positive Transitions service, supporting children, young people and families in the transition to secondary school.
They will draw on the charity’s established experience of running groups across Edinburgh and East Lothian, including previous sessions on All Aboard that have introduced young people to a green space in the heart of their community, seeing plants and wildlife up close.
All Aboard was launched in 2021 and aims to nurture community cohesion and wellbeing in an innovative space on the Union Canal. It is open to the community, serving as a safe space in which to explore the canal, find new experiences and socialise, while surrounded by nature.
To vote, visit the webpage below and select All Aboard for Climate Action as one of your five projects. Voting is open to all Edinburgh residents over the age of 8 and can be done online or at your local public library. Please note, you must use all 5 votes for your selections to be valid.
Further instructions can be found via the link below.
Vote today: https://yourvoice.edinburgh.gov.uk/budgets
Community projects tackling poverty and disadvantage will receive £27 million funding over the next three years.
Food pantries which help lower food bills and cost of living advice services are among the 100 initiatives developed by local people set to receive grants from the Investing in Communities Fund.
Among the successful Edinburgh bids are Community Renewal, who receive funding for Our Neighbourhood: A new hyperlocal Community Wealth Building partnership, Dr Bell’s Family Centre (Start Well, Live Well: Wellbeing Support for Families in Leith programme), Fresh Start (Fresh Connections) and North Edinburgh Arts (Link Up).
Other Edinburgh projects to receive funding include The Broomhouse Centre, The Venchie Children and Young People’s Project and WHALE Arts Agency in Wester Hailes.
Final details of the grants allocated will be made public after letters of acceptance have been received.
Supported projects are delivering multiple activities, including:
Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “This fund will help directly address issues facing disadvantaged communities, such as unemployment and food insecurity.
“We have been clear that the Scottish Budget is prioritising our limited resources to tackle child poverty, invest in our transition to net zero, and protect public services. And the projects supported through Investing in Communities speak to these priorities.
“Many will help ease immediate challenges from the cost of living crisis but also support communities in delivering longer term plans to address poverty.”
We will be providing an improvers English Class at Fresh Start Hub beginning on 21st February,
This is for people who can already speak, read and write English and who want to practise their language.
It will be in a small group of up to 8 people and be based on topics such as ‘At the supermarket’, ‘Talking about family’, ‘At the doctors’, ‘asking for directions’ . There will be a little grammar and vocabulary taught as well as listening, reading and speaking practice.
We continue to run English classes on Thursdays 2-4pm at the Hub, and people are welcome to come along to these, although they are targeted at absolute beginners.
For further info contact Abi at Abigail@freshstartweb.org.uk
