Edinburgh community group Ionad Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann will be holding a Gaelic community day on Saturday 9th May at the Heart of Newhaven community centre as part of the initiative to develop a Gaelic hub in Edinburgh as a gathering place for Gaelic speakers, learners and supporters.
Wilson McLeod, the group’s chair, said: ‘Over 10,000 people in Edinburgh have Gaelic language skills according to the last census, but they are spread across the city, and there is no single place where Gaelic is the normal and natural language to use.
“A Gaelic hub in Edinburgh would be a real focal point for Gaelic in the city, helping to bring Gaelic speakers together and providing opportunities for everyone to get involved in Gaelic language and culture’.
This is the fourth and final community day under the title Cruinn Còmhla (‘Gathered Together’) over 2025/26. Over 500 people have attended the first three events, but this is the first to take place in North Edinburgh.
The event will offer Gaelic classes, introductory Gaelic workshops, an arts session for under 5s, a Gaelic singing circle, an introduction to the history of Gaelic in Edinburgh, a performance by the Edinburgh Gaelic Choir, a talk on the Gaelic creative process, a session for children to ‘Come & Try’ a traditional musical instrument, reading and conversation groups, and a City of Edinburgh Council session on Gaelic development.
There will also be a café, Gaelic books for sale, games and information on Gaelic activities in Edinburgh.
Development Officer Sarah Scott said: ‘The Cruinn Còmhla community days have been a huge success and we are excited to bring our next event to the Heart of Newhaven.
“We are keen to raise the profile of Gaelic in Edinburgh and bring new opportunities to learn and use Gaelic to people across Edinburgh as we work to develop a permanent hub space’.
Cruinn Còmhla Gaelic Community Day
9 May 2006 | Heart of Newhaven, 4-6 Main Street, Newhaven, (10am – 4pm)
More than 80 grassroots initiatives across Scotland will share in over £3 million funding to help deliver more ambitious community projects and activities and enable them to generate their own income.
North Edinburgh’s Heart of Newhaven and R2 are among the projects to be awarded Strengthening Communities Programme funding.
To date the Strengthening Communities Programme has helped hundreds of organisations to develop and improve their work with local communities and boost local economies.
This latest tranche of funding for 2026-27 will back community organisations to deliver local projects including spaces for business, improving access to employability and skills services, family and young people’s activities, and health and wellbeing support.
The First Minister announced the funding on a visit to the Usual Place in Dumfries – a charity that supports young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, gain qualifications and access employment.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Local organisations are best placed to understand what their communities need and how to deliver it. This programme helps to support and empower community initiatives to deliver what their area needs most – whether that is spaces for small businesses, culture and sport activities, or employability support.
“By providing this funding, we are helping organisations to become more financially resilient and develop the means to generate income for themselves. This will not only help boost local economies, but in turn help these projects generate more funds to serve wider community needs.
“The Usual Place is a fantastic example of this type of initiative. Their work to support young people with additional support needs to build community connections and friendships, and develop the skills needed to access employment, helps to improve peoples’ lives and future opportunities. I was pleased to visit the charity and see first-hand the difference it is making for people in Dumfries.”
Craig McEwen, Chief Executive at The Usual Place said: “Following a very difficult year for The Usual Place, we are now in a much better financial position.
“With the interim funding found to give us breathing space and now the success in securing funds through the Strengthening Communities Programme, we have the space to create capacity to implement some strategic changes, decided by the Board of Trustees, to enable us to diversify our income streams to ensure a more stable future for The Usual Place. Over the past ten years we have put back into the economy of Dumfries and Galloway £9.8m, so our value speaks for itself.
“We thank the First Minister personally, and the Scottish Government for believing in the work we do in reducing the disability employment gap here in Dumfries & Galloway and beyond.”
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME
FUNDING BY ORGANISATION 2026/27
Organisation Name / Funding 2026/27
Active Communities £39,461
Annan Harbour Action Group £47,000
Antonine Sports Centre £44,980
Ardrossan Community Development Trust £40,679
Arisaig Community Trust £46,604
Assynt Development Trust £17,000
Belhelvie Community Trust £26,325
Bluevale Community Club £51,952
Bute Community Land Company £17,760
Campsie Memorial Trust £21,750
Castlemilk Community Football Trust £53,000
Community Development Company of Nesting £25,300
Comrie Development Trust £53,000
Cromarty Community Development Trust £33,100
Culbokie Community Trust £30,277
Dalbeattie Community Initiative £53,060
David Livingston Trust, Blantyre £31,500
Development Coll £41,597
Dufftown and District Community Association £18,825
Dunvegan Community Trust £26,661
Eday Partnership £18,000
Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) £8,500
Glengarry Community Woodlands £20,000
Go Golspie £40,000
Gorebridge Community Development Trust £48,169
Grow 73 £18,688
Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust £40,647
Heart of Newhaven£47,356
Helmsdale & District Development Trust £30,000
IG – Great Bernera Community Trust £39,048
Inspired Community Enterprise Trust (ICET) (The Usual Place) £25,402
Isle of Canna Community Development Trust £12,537
Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust £25,355
Isle of Luing Community Trust £27,000
Kilmadock Development Trust £10,049
Kinloch Historical Society £35,000
Kinlochleven Community Trust £24,110
Kinning Park Complex £42,500
Kirkcolm Community Trust £9,500
Kirkcudbright Development Trust £32,500
Kirknewton Community Development Trust £35,000
Lesmahagow Development Trust £60,504
Linlithgow Community Development Trust £34,885
Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust £25,773
Lockerbie Old School £53,500
Maslow’s Community SCIO £44,847
Midsteeple Quarter, Dumfries £56,420
Minginish Community Association £24,000
New Cumnock Development Trust £44,563
Nith Valley Trust £32,444
North Edinburgh R2 Co-ordinator £56,205
North Glasgow Community Food Initiative £29,388
North Ronaldsay Trust £23,000
One Dalkeith £36,057
Pollok United Nethercraigs CIC £46,498
Portgordon Community Trust Limited £28,723
Possilpark People’s Trust £32,700
Rannoch Community Trust £43,722
Roseneath Pennisula West CDT £44,500
Ruchazie Growing 21 £40,000
Sandness Community Development Group £22,028
Scalloway Community Development Company £38,468
Scourie Community Development Company £12,000
Shapinsay Development Trust £20,000
SHAX £50,500
Sleat Community Trust £38,601
South Islay Development Trust £20,000
South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust £33,990
Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry SCIO £10,000
Stow Community Trust £36,382
Stranraer Development Trust £47,000
Stranraer Water Sports Association £35,690
South West Arts & Music Project (SWAMP) £20,000
Take a Bow Development Trust £48,320
Tayport Community Trust £48,638
The Furniture Project, Stranraer £40,500
The Pavilion, Glasgow £37,987
Three Kings Cullen Association £40,800
Tiree Community Development Trust £22,650
Torridon and District Community Association £46,090
Unst Partnership £37,288
Whitburn Community Development Trust £37,195
Wick Development Trust £26,030
Please note that all funding amounts are subject to due diligence.
The Edinburgh FluteFling concert returns with another lineup of some of the finest traditional flute and whistle players around.
This year’s performers are Claire Mann (Dumfries and Galloway), Tom Oakes (Edinburgh), Tina Jordan Rees (Glasgow) and Hammy Hamilton (County Cork, Ireland).
Expect music from Scotland and Ireland mixed with more recent tunes too. Inventive, dynamic and creative performances all in a friendly setting.
Heart of Newhaven Centre 27 March 2026. Doors open 1930 Performances 2000-2200 BYOB
For the first time, Heart of Newhaven is delighted to be an official livestream venue for this year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES® from the Royal Institution.
Join us on the evenings of Thursday 11th, Saturday 13th, and Tuesday 16th December as we stream the lectures live from London.
Bring your curiosity and excitement — families from across the local area are warmly invited to watch the lectures come to life in real time and be among the first to uncover the mysteries of the Universe with Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock!
🎟 Free Events — Please Pre-Register
Although the events are free to attend, please help us manage numbers by pre-registering on our Eventbrite page
Each lecture is suitable for all ages, and you’re welcome to attend one, two, or all three evenings.
Plus, how to support us without it costing a penny!
Thank you so much! We are so humbled and grateful to everyone who has got involved in our 2025 campaign to send Christmas cards to the isolated older people in our community.
If you haven’t yet but still want to make a difference, sign up today and pop your card in the post to us by Thursday 4th December or drop off in person to Heart of Newhaven by Monday 8th December.
You will receive an individual profile of a local older person in our community, and all you need to do is write them a Christmas card to transform their Christmas
… And if you’ve sent a card, scroll down to find a super easy way to support Vintage Vibes without it costing you a penny!
We have profiles for older people across every part of Edinburgh…
From DAVID who loves computer games, to SHEILA who dances around the living room to Glastonbury, from ROBIN the film buff to FAY the foodie.
These Christmas cards make a huge difference to people who are often or always alone, and often feel invisible during the festive period.
The messages don’t need to be long, a simple Christmas joke and a kind word will do, it’s the act of letting someone know they matter that makes all the difference.
And it’s great to get the kids involved in too!
Check out these amazing cards from the Beavers, Scouts & Young Leaders at 21st Craigalmond Scouts in South Queensferry!
*Although there is a suggested donation to help us tackle isolation all year-round, anyone can also get involved without donating by using the code NODONATE.
Already sent a card? Here’s a super easy (and free!) way to tackle local loneliness…
Will you be shopping online this Christmas?
We’re heading towards that magical but expensive time of year again – but there is a super easy way to do a little bit of good with every purchase.
With any online shopping you need to do as we head towards Black Friday and Christmas, you could raise vital funds for Vintage Vibes with just one click.
Vintage Vibes have just registered with EasyFundraising, which means that when anyone shops with 8,000+ online stores (including supermarkets), Vintage Vibes can receive a small free donation, courtesy of who you shop with – without it costing you anything.
SIMPLE – EASY – IMPACTFUL
It’s super simple, you just sign up (at no cost to you) and then download the ‘donation reminder’ and it will pop up when you’re on an eligible website. All you do is click ‘click to get donation’ and the business will give a little donation to Vintage Vibes. Yay!
It’s predicted that more than £3m will be raised this way for charities across the UK during the coming months and we’d love to be able to increase our reach in Edinburgh in 2026, so every penny raised helps us support more local isolated older people
Waves of Wordsis an idea for a community group where you don’t need to do any real “homework” but instead come along to share words, phrases, and ideas together, not to analyse them but to explore what they mean to us and what they awaken in us.
Interested? Then read on ….
We’re suggesting a weekly meeting that will be a space for gentle conversation, discovery and fun!
You can bring along something you’ve read – an article, a line in a book, a favourite poem, a social media post and share it if you’d like to – there are no right or wrong answers, only different voices and opinions
We’ll also share tea and treats, simple things to make every conversation a little sweeter!
If you’d like to find out more about this proposed group – or to contribute ideas of your own for a discussion group – please come along to the Heart on Saturday November 15th at 12.30 and share your thoughts.
For more information or to ask any questions please contact Alessandra:
Introducing our first workshop for New Scots in Edinburgh
Join our free Sustainable Cooking Workshop to meet new people, practise your English, and take part in something meaningful!
Together we will explore the rich tradition of Ukrainian Borsch, a flavourful sour soup made with meat stock, fresh vegetables, and aromatic seasonings, cherished across Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.
Come be a part of a powerful experience that unites community, culture, and cause.
Date: 14 June 2025 (Saturday)
Time: 12:45 – 14:45
Venue: Heart of Newhaven Community Centre
Address: 4-6 Main Street, Newhaven, Edinburgh, EH6 4HY
Language: English and Ukrainian
Open to: New Scots aged 18 or over who have a basic understanding of English
