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.
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:
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.”
