Tag: Grassmarket Community Project

Scottish Government unveils 2030 Route map to circular economy

PLAN TO BOOST REUSE AND RECYCLING

Actions aimed at ensuring households and businesses in Scotland boost reuse and recycling rates and cut waste have been published.

The Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out 11 priority areas where efforts and resources will be concentrated to support a transition to a circular economy – where resources are kept in use for as long as possible. 

They include:

  • setting new circular economy targets
  • reducing the amount of food waste produced
  • developing a model for regional hubs and networks for the reuse of construction materials and assets
  • improving the provision of recycling and waste services
  • minimising the carbon impacts of the energy from waste sector

The Route Map is the product of extensive collaboration and engagement with the public, private and third sectors through two consultations since 2022, with consistently high levels of support for the proposals.

The overall recycling rate in Scotland is at its highest level since records began in 2011, and the actions in the Route Map complement provisions in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, which was passed unanimously by MSPs in June.

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin launched the Route Map at a visit to Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh, which upcycles discarded wooden furniture into new items.

She said: “Reusing and recycling materials has a huge role to play in Scotland’s response to tackling the climate crisis. 

“We must make the circular option, where we value materials and keep them in use for as long as possible, either in their original form or recycled, an easier choice for Scottish households, businesses and the public sector.

“The Route Map sets out an ambitious plan to help make this a reality and I want to thank all those who have contributed to its development.

“There have been consistently high levels of support for its actions, which promote and support responsible production and consumption, along with the sustainable management of Scotland’s resources – and the final route map will be key to supporting the Scottish Government’s net zero and economic growth goals.”

Helene van der Ploeg, CEO of the Grassmarket Community Project said: “We pride ourselves on our initiatives to repurpose, recycle and reuse through our wood workshop, and Tartan shop. Old furniture, church pews and fallen trees are donated and re-worked into beautiful pieces of furniture or small household items. Leftover tartan from weavers, and donated fabric scraps are handcrafted into beautiful gifts.

“These materials, once considered waste and destined for landfill, are now valuable contributors to the circular economy. Thanks to generous donations, we’re recycling these materials, giving them new purpose, and creating timeless treasures that will be passed down through generations.

“Along the way, we generate income, provide essential skills training for our members (beneficiaries) and volunteers, all of which embodies and reinforces the values of the Route Map and our commitment to the circular economy.”

Read the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map 

Summary of priority actions:

* = Relates to provisions in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024

  1. Publish a Product Stewardship Plan to set out how we will tackle the environmental impact of priority products by 2025/26
  2. Develop an intervention plan to guide long-term work on household food waste reduction behaviour change by 2026/27
  3. *Develop with stakeholders’ effective options to implement mandatory reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses from 2025/26
  4. Support the development of a model for regional Scottish hubs and networks for the reuse of construction materials and assets from 2025-2027
  5. *Facilitate a co-design process for high quality, high performing household recycling and reuse services, 2024 – 2026
  6. Review of compliance with commercial recycling requirements, 2026
  7. Co-design measures to improve commercial waste service provisions, commencing by 2030
  8. Develop a Residual Waste Plan to 2045, by 2027
  9. Facilitate the development of a Sector-Led Plan to minimise the carbon impacts of the energy from waste sector, by 2027
  10. *Develop a circular economy strategy every five years, with first one published in 2026
  11. *Set new circular economy targets by 2027.

Edinburgh community groups hit National Lottery funding jackpot

NEDAC RECEIVES £133,000 LIFELINE

Community groups across Edinburgh are celebrating the news of their National Lottery funding today (WEDNESDAY 17 July).  

Over 500 community projects share in this latest round of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, totalling £17,341,549. The funds will be directed towards bringing local people together and providing essential services across Scotland. 

A full list of successful applicants can be found below.

North Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Centre receives £133,334. NEDAC, (formerly SHADA) who have been based in Muirhouse since 1983, will continue to deliver their service helping people who struggle to engage with mainstream services.

People who are at the highest risk of drug-related death who have long-term substance misuse/mental health issues will be assisted to gain control over their lives.

Drylaw Telford Community Association receives £20,000. The Neighbourhood Centre will use the funding over one year, for their 50 years+ Link Worker.

This project will benefit the over 50s community in North Edinburgh; and in particular those at high risk of being socially isolated.

An award of £19,513 means the Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust will run a sustainable food project which will recycle food to produce jars of preserves which they will sell to the community and to farmers’ markets.

Rob Hoon, Chief Executive, Out of the Blue, said; “The ‘Preserves’ project is a new and exciting adventure for us, and this funding will allow us to process at least 4,000kg of ingredients per annum to make quality products that extend the shelf life of that food for up to 12 months.

“We will achieve this by producing small batch jams, pickles and preserves embracing traditional methods of preservation.  We will work with people and community groups to support them to make their traditional preserves and gain new cooking skills. 

The Grassmarket Community Project will run a programme of weekly digital skills workshops for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness after an award of £19,763.

Grassmarket Community Project

Helene Van des Ploeg, Chief Executive Officer, Grassmarket Community Project, said: “Digital skills are so vitally important for all of us, whether it just be for connecting with friends or family through social media, writing a CV and applying for jobs or developing skills to open opportunities for employment through accredited learning.  

“We will offer a high-quality service in which members can access new IT skills at any level and tailor the learning to match the needs of the individual and support them to work at their own pace, achieving their goals.  We really appreciate the support that this funding will give us to go ahead with this vital project that will enable our members to flourish in the future.”

Thanks to an award of £63,189, Space at the Broomhouse will be able to extend their opening hours on Saturdays and provide more activities on offer.


Neil, Hay, CEO, Space at the Broomhouse, said: “We know that costs have risen significantly for all charities and community groups in the past few years and wanted to find a way to assist.

“Room hire, especially for smaller groups who do not have their own premises, is a big part of their costs, so we approached The National Lottery Community Fund to see if they could help.

“Thanks to their support we are in a position to offer a whole raft of help to the community, including free use of the halls at Space well into 2025.”

An award of £173,409, will enable Networking Key Services to run an innovative project which will use storytelling to build confidence in talking about challenging topic and issues.

Over the course of the next three years the project will work with hundreds of people from South Asian communities across the city.

Naina Minhas, Director, Networking Key Services, said: “The ‘Breaking Silence and Improving Lives’ aims to empower communities by giving them a collective voice to address issues affecting them. 

“Through storytelling, the project will identify complex challenges and raise these with relevant services to improve quality of live for communities.”

The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “As The National Lottery approaches its 30th birthday it’s wonderful to see how the funding continues to help change lives for the better and just what can be accomplished when people join forces for a shared purpose or to support one another.

“National Lottery players should be proud to know the money they raise is supporting people across Edinburgh to lead happier and healthier lives.”

  The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.     

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk    

lottery-winners-july24Download

Greenpeace: Invitation to The Cost of Living documentary screening and panel discussion

Where:

Grassmarket Community Project

86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QA.

When:

Thursday 17th November 19:30 – 21:00

What:

Greenpeace Edinburgh will be hosting a town hall event at the Grassmarket Community Project focused on the cost of living and climate crises. As part of the event, we will be showing a screening of Greenpeace’s latest documentary, “The Cost Of Living”.

This short documentary tells the story of volunteers in food banks and community centres across Rother Valley in Yorkshire. Feeling neglected and left behind by the government and facing enormous energy bills, more and more people rely on their community to help put food on their table and provide a warm refuge.

Food banks, social cafes and community centres are being stretched to the limit as winter looms large. As the women of Rother Valley try to keep their communities afloat, the government’s inaction stands in stark contrast.

Both the cost of living and climate crises can be solved by investing in renewable energy, properly insulating homes and providing people with the skills and training needed to deliver this green energy revolution.

The screening of the approx. 10 minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring representatives from organisations including Living Rent, Just Stop Oil, Fuel Poverty Action and Leith Community Crops in Pots. 

Get in touch:

greenpeace-edinburgh@live.co.uk

https://linktr.ee/greenpeace.edinburgh

Event Details:

Register on Eventbrite

https://greenwire.greenpeace.org.uk/s/event/a2X4H000000opddUAA/edinburgh-townhall-meeting-on-the-cost-of-living-and-climate-crisis?language=en_US

https://fb.me/e/dstTnhBlT

Deacon Blue star opens new community café and pavilion in Grassmarket

Offering everything from woodwork classes to meals for those who are homeless, the Grassmarket Community Project aims to create a community and provide sanctuary for those in the city who are often excluded.  

The registered charity runs the fully accessible community hub and café on Candlemakers Row where people can pop in for their caffeine fix and something fresh to eat knowing that all proceeds support social good in the area. 

However, with demand for their services growing year on year, and with the café rapidly running out of space, the registered charity secured funding from Foundation Scotland.

An investment of over £375,000 has enabled the organisation to extend its existing facilities and create a brand-new pavilion space hosting Coffee Saints, a larger, bright and friendly café and improved spaces for activities.   

Ricky Ross is a long-term supporter of the Grassmarket Community Project’s work and was there on the night to officially open the space and meet staff, volunteers, supporters and local people.   

Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, offers social investment funding to social enterprises, community organisations and charities. Up to 50% of the funding is through a non-repayable grant, with the remainder through a loan. Foundation Scotland’s social investment team prides itself on its relationship-based support and helps successful applicants to raise further funds.  

Chris Holloway, Head of Social Investment at Foundation Scotland, said: “Grassmarket Community Project secured over £375,000 from Foundation Scotland and we have worked closely together across the last few years to get to this exciting stage.  

“Jonny and the team have worked so hard to get to where we are today.  It’s great to finally have the doors open and get to see inside the spaces which will mean so much to so many. 

“The funding landscape has changed monumentally post-covid.  There are far less available opportunities for capital costs, and building costs are rising significantly.  Yet we know groups urgently need this support to get started or grow. We’ve invested over £12.5 million in 72 organisations across the last ten years.

“This funding, combined with our dedicated and experienced support, has delivered transformational change. We enable socially conscious groups to become more sustainable, grow, and become less reliant on grant funding. It’s a win-win all round, and our impact reporting shows that this funding model works.

“We are encouraging all interested groups to visit our website or contact our team directly to discuss your eligibility”.   

Jonny Kinross, CEO of Grassmarket Community Project, said: “The support we’ve received from the team at Foundation Scotland has been instrumental in enabling us to plan, develop and now finally officially open our fantastic new café and pavilion in the centre of the city.  

“We’re extremely grateful to have received such a significant sum across the combination of loan and grant funding but above this, the team have offered a real partnership approach to the finance, which has been so refreshing and supportive.  

They have taken the time to understand our business, the challenges and the opportunities presented.  

“Like everyone else, our project was inevitably held up through the crisis, but the team have been with us every step of the way.  We are so excited that our doors are now open, and we can’t wait to meet old and new friends for a coffee in the new café.”  

Foundation Scotland’s ‘Investing in Enterprise Fund’ offers up to a quarter of a million pounds in blended finance to eligible social enterprises, community organisations and charities operating in 18 local authority areas.  

For more information, including details on how to apply for the Investing in Enterprise Fund visit: 

foundationscotland.org.uk/social-investment 

George Heriot’s pupils raise £2,616 by taking part in Invisible Cities’ ‘In Our Shoes’ Challenge

As part of their Poverty Week focus, students kept their shoes on for 48 hours straight to raise awareness around homelessness 

George Heriot’s School took part in Invisible Cities’ ‘In Our Shoes’ Challenge: an innovative new challenge introduced by the social enterprise, where pupils are asked to keep their shoes on for 48 hours straight (without removing them at all).   

The mission behind the challenge is to help school children to understand more about and discuss some of the issues faced by rough sleepers while on the streets such as podiatry issues, lack of access to adequate shoes, etc.  

Zakia  Moulaoui  Guery, CEO and Founder of Invisible Cities said: “We are delighted to say, that through completing this challenge, George Heriots School raised an amazing £2616 which we split with our fellow social enterprise and friends at the Grassmarket Community Project.”  

Based right next to the school, Grassmarket Community Project have been a long-standing partner of Invisible Cities and have supported with recruiting new guides and working on collaborative projects together.  

Katherine Duncan, Principal Teacher of Curricular Enhancement, explained: “Our Junior School pupils took part in Poverty Awareness Week at the end of March as part of our annual Financial Education focus. 

“It created an opportunity for them to learn more about the causes of poverty (both locally and globally) and how poverty impacts on the rights of everyone affected.   

“Putting themselves “in the shoes” of rough sleepers not only allowed our pupils to empathise with rough sleepers, but also helped them to make a difference by raising £2616 for Invisible Cities and the Grassmarket Community Project.”

Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that trains people who have previously experienced   homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city in Edinburgh, Glasgow , York and Manchester. 

Zakia  Moulaoui  Guery, CEO and Founder of Invisible Cities, said: ” This challenge was designed to give a different perspective on homelessness and focus on a very practical issue that people can face. 

“We are so thankful to the school, teachers and pupils alike for taking part and supporting us with such a generous donation.”   

Jonny Kinross, CEO for Grassmarket Community Project, said: “We are delighted to be one of the beneficiaries of George Heriots School’s incredible fundraising effort as part of their poverty awareness week.

“With this donation we will be able to provide practical support, training, access to free IT classes, free IT equipment, free food 5 days a week and one to one support including counselling and therapies to many of the City’s homeless and vulnerable.   

“As the lockdown relaxes and we are able to provide one-to-one face to face support this donation will enable us to re-connect to people who are exceptionally vulnerable and isolated – to help them sustain their tenancies, ensure they receive the benefits and support to which they are entitled as well as get the emotional and mental health support they need.

“What an exceptional fundraising initiative and our huge thanks go out to the pupils and their families who got behind and will help us to ensure that no one is left behind in the city’s recovery.”   

For more information on Invisible Cities visit https://invisible-cities.org/