Tag: Heart of Newhaven

Heart of Newhaven: April Newsletter

Welcome to your April Newsletter

Good news on Funding

We are pleased to report that Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) has generously agreed to fund a new Community Teaching Kitchen at the Heart from their Community Health & Well-being Fund.

The almost £13,000 will pay for a total revamp of the old VPS kitchen and provide a space where community-minded groups involved with the many aspects of food growing and preparation can come together to share their skills.

This will involve a lot of work, so accept our apologies for any disruption, especially around the cafe area, as it might not be completed until after the summer.

If you tasted the food offered by Mwamba at our two Coorie-In events, then you’ll be pleased to know that they have already signified their interest in using the new kitchen once it’s ready.

In the meantime, if you or your group would like to use the space for the benefit of the community, please get in touch with admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Working with us –

Age Scotland are also getting involved at the Heart. They are providing the funds for a six-month, part-time position (two days a week) for someone to help organise and run sessions at the Heart for local people living with dementia and their carers.

Applications for the position have now closed, but watch this space for more news as the successful applicant is due to start in June.

We also will be welcoming our new building maintenance officer, Ian White who joins us at the start of May to support all the activities in the Heart.  

VIP visitors

The Heart has been happy to host VIP visits recently, with two local councillors, Councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Councillor Stuart Dobbin and MP Deirdre Brock being given tours of the site and an introduction to what’s been going on, bringing them right up to date with both our achievements and our future plans.

We look forward to welcoming them back again in the future.

Our reminiscence volunteers are keeping busy.

Those who undertook reminiscence training are now offering drop-in sessions at the Heart once a month, on Wednesday mornings. (Wed 12 April, Wed 10 May, Wed 14 June, Wed 12 July, all from 10.30 – 11.30 am).

It is completely free, open to everyone and all ages and there is no need to book in advance  – just come along to the Heart, take a seat and start chatting!

The aim is to have a different theme each month, with different pictures and objects to get the discussion going. Do spread the word if there is anyone you know who might be interested in coming along – feel free to bring a friend.

For any further information email admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Children and the future of the Anchor Building 

Four Pop-up Play Cafes for carers and children aged 0-7, were held at the Heart in March, led by Froebelian Futures (https://www.froebel.ed.ac.uk/) with the support of various local organisations that support Early Years and families, including Homestart and Stepping Stones.

The aim was to gauge community response and around 200 people, adults and children, passed through the doors on each of the four days.

The feedback, which has all been very positive, is currently being evaluated and will inform our next steps. We will let you know!

Moving forward to August, DaddyDayCare will be opening their doors in the Anchor Building as well.

They are now accepting applications for places, so head to their website for all the details – daddydaycareedinburgh.com

Heritage

Meanwhile, HONC has not been neglecting the heritage side of things.

Representatives from the Heart and our partners the Victorian Schoolroom attended a consultation meeting organised by the City’s Museums Services held in the new Victoria Primary School last month.

A small but enthusiastic number of attendees put forward their ideas for working collaboratively and the representatives from the City Council will take away their ideas and work on them.

Similarly, we also attended a preliminary meeting of a new venture called the Edinburgh Local Heritage Network, also being led currently by the City’s Archives, Libraries and Museum Services.

The idea is for different heritage groups around the city to collaborate on exhibitions, events and publicity to make more locals as well as visitors aware of the many and differing heritage strands the area has to offer.

Finally, our Warm & Welcoming mornings (Wednesdays and Saturdays) are becoming popular but we really need more volunteers to help welcome and chat to visitors as well as make them a warming cup of tea or coffee.

If you think you could give a couple of hours a week, particularly on Wednesday mornings, please contact admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Remember to check our website and social media pages regularly for what’s happening around the Heart. 

You’ll find the latest courses being run by Ink on Mesh and our bookbinder Cass, as well as the next date for a Leith Folk Club gathering, by clicking What’s On.

By clicking on Culture & Heritage news, you’ll find an appeal for photo identification and a lovely link between the Heart and the Victorian Schoolroom when the great granddaughter of a former pupil came to visit.

P.S. Save the date:

We’ll be hosting a Family Ceilidh on 29th April, so save the date. 

More details to follow on the website / social media.

The Heart of Newhaven Community

Welcome to your March Newsletter

There’s such a lot going on!

We have news of several events and a couple of requests.

Vote for us, join us in a community consultation and hear what is happening at the Heart.

First of all, please vote for us.

Edinburgh Community Climate Fund – Vote for the Heart

HONC has applied for funding from Edinburgh Community Climate Fund. Over 50 projects have been submitted and those with the most votes will be awarded grants until the fund of £100,000 is exhausted.

Voting is open to all Edinburgh residents over the age of eight, until 12th March.

The Heart’s proposal is the development of a teaching kitchen which will complement the partnership work we are already doing with Homestart in the development of a community garden within the curtilage of The Heart, and with Mwamba in our ‘pots of herbs’ project.

Other organisations and groups keen to work with us in developing and using the facility include Edinburgh Community Food, Leith Pantry and the Ukrainian community. We also have close links to Friends of Victoria Park and Victoria Allotments who would provide a seasonal input of fruit and vegetables to the kitchen for community use.

Please vote for the Heart.

Vote below or head to Leith Library (or any other Edinburgh Library) and they are ready to help.

VOTE HERE

Newhaven Community Consultation

Are you interested in local history and heritage? If so, we would encourage you to join Museums & Galleries Edinburgh (MGE) for a discussion of how they can best support heritage within the Newhaven community. The views of individuals and groups, old friends and new perspectives will all be welcomed. The event will be led by Diana Morton, Outreach and Access Manager at MGE.

The last community consultation took place in 2010 and in the intervening years, the Wee Museum at Victoria Primary School formed a focus for MGE’s support of local heritage. However the school community has moved to its new premises, some pillars of the community have passed away, new communities have moved to the area and new groups have been formed.

The consultation is to develop a coherent way forward for MGE to find a solution that meets the needs of the different communities and organisations in the area.

Please come along to find out more or contact Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager at diana.morton@edinburgh.gov.uk

The event will take place on 23 March, 6 -7.30pm at the new Victoria Primary School 1 Windrush Drive, Edinburgh EH6 4TN

New event at the Heart

Newhaven resident Gino’s bee journey began in 2014 when he took a beginner beekeeping course and got his first colony of honey bees to care for. He now holds a Beemaster qualification in practical beekeeping, is actively involved with the Scottish Beekeeping Community, keeps bees in Edinburgh, East & West Lothian, and is the recipient of several honey awards.

His three-part Thursday evening course will be a summary of all the important things you need to know about bees, beekeeping, products of the hive, plants, the environment etc… 

It is aimed at people with no knowledge or experience, ideal for gardeners or people looking to learn something new or get into beekeeping. Gino’s very keen to persuade people away from thinking of honey as a cheap sweetener and to realise the rare and unique product that it is that captures the landscape in a jar.

Contact Gino at  gino@simplyhoney.co

Second Coorie-In

We organised an evening event on February 23rd to welcome people into The Heart and give them the opportunity to connect with each other, to meet the people (artists and organisations) who are based in the building and to try their hand at creative activities.  Teas and coffees were on offer and Mwamba provided ethnically diverse hot food which proved very popular.

The evening included a performance by the local Community Choir, taster sessions of Tai Chi and Qi Gong, felting and notebook making, visits to the pottery and violin workshops, as well as the Victorian Schoolroom and Victorian Homelife display. There was even a chance of a free massage and advice from Age Scotland and Ace-It.

Over 100 people attended, not counting the many volunteers helping in various ways, meaning that the demonstrators and tenants found themselves very busy all evening. Visitors loved the “friendly community feel” as well as “visiting each organisation and making connections.”

Here are just a few of the feedback comments we received:

“Watching book binding, seeing the Victorian school and meeting the Heart of Newhaven team!”

“Loved to see the print studio and the pottery.”

“The variety of events available.”

“Ceramics – so lovely and interesting! Ink on Mesh, violin repair specialist, felting, Victorian school. Was really great seeing all. Amazing evening!”

“We loved everything from the Victorian Schoolroom, to the Art, the lovely spaces and friendly members. Food was great.”

“EVERYTHING, BRAVO! Wonderful combination of art, craft, music, history and community initiatives. Also a very welcoming space.”

HONC’s Board is looking for a volunteer with secretarial skills to take on minute-taking for board meetings, etc.

There are also still opportunities to volunteer in various capacities, as well as a couple of places on the Board to fill, in particular for those with legal, financial, marketing or HR experience.

Please check the website for further details or contact admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Finally, welcome to the Leith Folk Club, (LFC) which held the first of its revitalised events at the Heart last month.

To kick things off in their new guise and in a new venue, they held a fundraiser in the old gym hall with music and merry-making for what turned out to be a packed audience. 

A spokesperson for LFC said “The money raised will enable us to recover from the last three years and will be used to get us back to doing what we do best – presenting regular gigs featuring the best Scottish and international folk and world music in the Heart of Newhaven, just down the road from our previous venue.

“None of the musicians got paid for their services and the venue was staffed by LFC committee and HoN volunteers. The night was an unqualified success and a collaborative effort, with the door-take shared equally between both organisations.”

To keep up to date with all that is happening go to Heart of Newhaven and hopefully we will see you at the Heart soon. 

Heart of Newhaven Community: January News

Happy New Year and Welcome to your January newsletter

We’d like to start this month’s newsletter with a little boasting:

“We just celebrated our daughter’s first birthday at the Heart of Newhaven! What a joy!

‘The hall was perfect and the team (particularly Kim) couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. The building is historic and quirky and we are so privileged to be able to use the facility in our community. If you’re looking for a quaint and wholesome venue to celebrate, the Heart of Newhaven is the perfect spot.”

That is a genuine review left on Google after a successful event held at the Heart. Why not consider it for your special event?  Book here

There are also several regular classes now being held in the Heart. We have Zayna Dance Academy who are running nursery ballet and jazz, jazz and musical theatre classes for ages 5-8 and 8-11, and also some classes for adults. For more info contact zaynadanceacademy@gmail.com or Whatsapp: 07487450778.

If you have young children or are expecting, you might be interested in the regular Pregnancy Cafe events, run by Stepping Stones North Edinburgh. Check out their website at Home – Stepping Stones North Edinburgh

If you enjoy singing, then there is also Newhaven Community Choir  – who practise in the Heart every week.

Some of our tenants are now up and operating as well. Our very own potter, Borja Moronta is beavering away in his top floor studio getting ready for a special exhibition (check out his own website at borjamoronta.com), and the History of Education Centre on the first floor is taking bookings for visits to their newly refurbished Victorian Schoolroom (check their website at histedcentre.org.uk).

Their very first visitors came this month, of course, from Victoria Primary School, who were thrilled to be back on home turf and amazed at the changes that had been made since they left.

There is also a drop-in hand-sewing group being started by Lorna at Ink on Mesh. This is in association with the ‘Stitch an Acorn’ Campaign for Louise Gardiner’s Cape of Courage exhibition at Marchmont House, Duns, later this year.

The sessions will take place at the Heart on Tuesdays from Tuesday 7th February until Tuesday March 28th, 6.15pm – 8.15pm. Just come to the main door.

You can find out more about the project here: 

https://www.lougardiner.co.uk/blog.php

Lorna is also on the look-out for spare material scraps, sewing kit of any kind or even sewing machines that can be reused, repurposed and re-loved. If you have any such donations, please drop them off at the Heart for her attention or contact her on blessedunrest@aasfour601983

============

Repair Café                  

Saturday 28th January, 10am-1pm

At The Men of Leith Men’s Shed, Creel Building, Heart of Newhaven Community
Something broken? Why not bring it along to our Repair Café where our volunteers will help you to attempt a repair. The event is free; our goals are to help people to learn repair skills and to save waste and cost.

We can look at any small objects including small electrical items, toys, small furniture, ornaments, indeed anything you value which is broken – come along and give us a challenge!

www.facebook.com/leithmensshedrepair.org

============

We’re about to start a new venture at the Heart as well.

The Warm & Welcoming events on Wednesday and Saturday mornings 9 -12 , beginning Wednesday 1st February, will be open with tea, coffee and at very least biscuits. We will be hosting several pop-up events staffed by our partners and Heart residents. Just turn up, have a cuppa and meet them. 

ACE IT will  be running 1:1 advice if you need support with your laptop, phone or tablet: use the free Wifi and get any problems sorted out.

You will also be able to find out more about what’s happening the Heart in the coming months.

============

Now back to more mundane but very important matters.

We’re currently hiring.

We’re looking for a part-time Buildings Maintenance Officer.

If you’re interested in being part of our small but very important team, read more about it on the website and if you’d like to apply, please send a copy of your CV, a supporting statement describing how you meet the person specification, and a short covering letter to anna.brown@heartofnewhaven.co.uk.

We’re also looking for more volunteers to help with specific tasks.

We need volunteers to help at reception on Wednesday and Saturday mornings when we will be holding our multi-purpose Warm & Welcoming events.

We’d also like to hear from anyone with event organising and/or community fund raising experience.

If you’d like to volunteer in any of those areas, then contact us via the volunteer form on the website.

============

Finally, make a date to come and visit the Heart on the evening of Thursday 23rd February when we will be holding our second Coorie-In from 7 till 8.30 pm.

Come and meet some of our tenants and partners  and see what the Heart has to offer.

More details in the next Newsletter.

UK Government saves vital community assets across Scotland

Projects in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkirk and Isle of Arran to receive share of the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund

Across Scotland community venues at risk of being lost forever have been rescued and placed into the hands of the local community with over £800,000 from the Community Ownership Fund.

The UK Government has allocated shares of the multimillion pound Community Ownership Fund to help community groups take ownership of local institutions falling into disrepair and give them a new lease of life so they can continue to provide vital services, create more opportunities for local people and boost local economies

Successful projects include the transformation of an old primary school into a vibrant community hub, funding to open the Lochranza Hotel bar on the Isle of Arran and money for a grass roots sports club in Falkirk.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said: “This announcement will help people across Scotland restore the cherished pillars of community that bring people together and provide vital services for local people.

“With government backing these places will continue to thrive, run by the local community for the local community from Falkirk to the Isle of Arran.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: “Congratulations to the latest four Scottish projects being awarded a share of the UK Government Community Ownership Fund.

“Ten venues serving communities across Scotland are now being supported by £2 million investment from the fund. In total, our levelling up agenda is seeing more than £2 billion directly invested in Scotland by the UK Government.”

Mark Crawford, Vice President, Falkirk RFC said: “The fund will help us to create an attractive, modern hub which will be used by a new adult women’s team. With the funding, we plan to install a new sustainable heating system and create fit-for-purpose changing and showering facilities, a new physio suite, gym and a flexible teaching area. 

“We plan to deliver a variety of sport, health and wellbeing focused programmes from the facility, with partner organisations like FDAMH, Falkirk’s mental health association, and we believe the new facility will help address a lot of high-priority local needs beyond sport.

Successful projects include:

  • ‘The Heart’ in Newhaven, Edinburgh, a former primary school and listed building will be transformed into a vibrant community hub offering activities, learning and services to local families, with £300,000 in funding.
  • The doors of the Lochranza Hotel on the remote Isle of Arran will fly open again to welcome punters into the warm hearth to enjoy their selection of malt whiskies, thanks to a £300,000 grant. The hotel was at risk of being lost forever after closing due to the pandemic.
  • Falkirk Rugby Football and Sports Club will use its £115,000 grant to transform dilapidated changing pavilions into modern, inclusive, multi-purpose facilities in a boost for local girl’s and women’s teams.
  • The historic Albert Park in Glasgow’s Southside will also benefit from £100,000 of levelling up cash to restore the clubhouse and pavilion so that locals can enjoy them for generations to come.

The move forms part of the UK Government’s drive to level up local communities across the country, create more opportunities for local people and boost local economies as a result.

Combined with round one projects, this additional funding takes our overall total to £16.74m for 70 projects, with £2.0m allocated to Scotland.

The prospectus for the second round of the £150 million Community Ownership Fund updated the fund to make it more clear and extend the eligibility requirements, following feedback from previous applicants.

This second round of the £150 million Community Ownership Fund will build on the success of the round one, which saw over £10 million awarded to 38 successful projects across the UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/community-ownership-fund-first-round-successful-bidders

New faces and first events at the Heart of Newhaven

Welcome to your September newsletter

NEW FACES and FIRST EVENTS

We’d like to start off by introducing you to our new members of staff. They all started work at the Heart on 2nd September, so you’ll be meeting them soon.

First of all, there’s our new full time Transition Manager, Roger Walpole. Many of you will already know Roger as he used to be a member of the HONC board.

Of course he’s had to step down as a trustee in order to be able to take on the role of an employee, but there’s no doubt he has already contributed so such to the project and is fully committed to its success.


Roger has been working with the Edinburgh University Student Association’s business development department, for the last 13 years, helping run their annual entertainments programme in many guises, but has also found time to be a treasurer and trustee with Victoria Primary School’s council and PTA.

Some of you may also know him as your local Polling Officer.

Next there’s Kimberley Thomson. Kimberley is starting with us as our part-time Heart Coordinator, so she is the face you will be meeting front of house, as she coordinates volunteers and activities.

Kim comes from a customer service background within the charity sector and will be the first point of call for visitors to our centre.

She is very much looking forward to meeting everyone and becoming a part of our community! She will also work with customers booking at our fantastic venue, giving support through the booking journey and building great lasting relationships.

Finally, there’s our Buildings and Maintenance Officer, Becc Dishon who will be taking up the part-time role of Buildings and Maintenance Officer.

Becc tells us: “My career has seen me involved in the management of the technical facilities and spaces in a number of well known Edinburgh venues for over twenty-four years.
 
“As well as working on productions my background includes much time spent in education, helping people young and old to see their creative potential. I enjoy being involved in the facilitation of other people’s creativity and seeing their work come alive. 
 
“I create a lot of art myself and also enjoy writing and studying local history and anything weird. I’m part of a group who own chickens on a residential street and have a very understanding wife.”

Now you’ve met the team, look out for them if you’re attending one of our September events, all of which will take place in the Anchor Building (that’s the new one in the playground):  

A series of workshops delivered by Jamie Dyer, from Art in Healthcare will be running on Tuesday 6th – Drawing and Map Making; Wednesday 7th – Experimental Film and Photography;  Tuesday 13th Community Sculpture; – and Wednesday 14th – Print Making.

The events are free but due to space issues, please register at admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you would like to attend.

Keep an eye on our social media and website for more details to follow of a community event highlighting some of the activities to be on offer this month.

Heart of Newhaven: July Newsletter

Welcome to your July Newsletter

First of all, thank you to the members who attended our first ever, in-person AGM which was held in the Heart itself. We had a good turn-out of both full members and associated members as well as several apologies from those unable to attend.

Three trustees stood down after having given significant service since the time of the original steering committee and having continued with membership of the Board when the SCIO was set up in 2020. Rodney Matthews, Colin MacNeill and Alan Hartley all stepped back from the Board for personal reasons although all remain committed to helping the Heart in other ways in the future.

Two Trustees who had joined the Board since the 2021 AGM, Mike Douglas and Layla Robinson, were re-elected.

Guest speaker for the event was Mr David Knight from the Scottish Land Fund.

He gave an invigorating address about the history of the Land Fund and its investments and announced that the grant awarded to the Heart was the largest single grant for an individual site, with the exception of the large award for the Isle of Ulva which was for a whole estate as opposed to “just” a building.

Although the legal documents have not yet been signed, or the keys handed over, Mr Knight presented outgoing chair Rodney Mathews with a plaque commemorating the SLF’s investment in the Heart, which will be given pride of place once it is legally owned by the community.

The new Board

Immediately following the AGM the new Board held a short meeting, whereby Judy Crabb, who has been involved with the project since even before the creation of the first steering group, was elected as the new Chair.

Emma Hendron, who is a co-opted trustee, was elected Treasurer and Layla Robinson was elected Secretary. All three were elected unanimously.

The new Chair has been instrumental in many ways that members may not have been aware of, being involved in all aspects of the project so far. The current Board acknowledged this with her election and can think of no better person to lead the way forward as we enter this new phase.

All trustees can be contacted directly through their Heart of Newhaven email addresses, which can be found on the website.

The new Board wish to thank all three retiring trustees for the vision and unwavering commitment they shared during their terms in office. Without their contributions the project would not be where it is today. We all owe them a great deal.

Could you fill a space on the Board?

As we move into the next phase of the project, we are looking for a new trustee with legal experience who can assist the Board with contractual, commercial and property legal issues that may arise from time to time.

If you have some experience in this field and would like to get involved, please contact judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

And finally:

Remember to check the website and social media regularly for updates, news and blogs. June saw the posting of the delightful reminiscences of 95 year old Margaret Mclean who was born, grew up and still lives in Newhaven.

You can find the blogs under BLOGS on the website.

Join The Picnic in Victoria Park

The Heart of Newhaven Community, Friends of Victoria Park and The VP Allotment Holders invite you to The Picnic in the Park, at Victoria Park on Sunday 19 June from 12.30pm-3.30pm.

Bring a picnic and enjoy meeting your neighbours in the park

  • Children’s Races (including the world-famous 3-legged!) Fun Dog Parade
  • Plant Swap Table
  • Kids’ Books Swap Table
  • Live Music
  • Optional Fancy Dress for People and Pets!
  • Prizes for taking part for Children and Dogs!

Check the ‘Friends of Victoria Park’ and ‘Heart of Newhaven’ Facebook pages for updates

https://www.facebook.com/fovpedinburgh 

and 

https://www.facebook.com/TheHeartofNewhaven)

Inspired by the Eden Project’s Big Lunch

News from Heart of Newhaven

MAY NEWSLETTER

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to our recent Crowdfunder campaign.

This is to be put towards the costs of sprucing up the building once we get the keys. Lots of volunteers are of course already hard at work getting ready for the big day, making inventories and moving furniture, all essential logistical work.

Soon, it really will be “all hands on deck” as we start with the paintbrushes and the trowels and we’ll be calling on even more help on the ground then.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already given, the Crowdfunder is still open for donations.

Did you know however that you can gift to our charity at any time you like, or even on a regular basis?

All you have to do is go to our website and follow the links.

You can donate online directly to our bank or you can send a cheque if you prefer.

All the details are on the website here 

Now that the weather is improving, remember our big Picnic in the Park, to be held in Victoria Park on Sunday 19th June, between 12.30 and 3.30pm. 

Inspired by the Eden Project’s Big Lunch, this is being held in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. Bring a picnic and enjoy meeting your neighbours. Take part in the fun races and games or take advantage of the plants and books swap tables. There will even be an (optional) fancy dress competition for children and pets – with prizes!

New initiatives

Thanks to successful applications to the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund 2022, The Arnold Clark Community Fund and the People’s Postcode Trust, we have successfully achieved funding to help connect and bring people together. This is the aim of the following two new projects.

Reminiscence training

We know that sharing stories and memories is valuable in preserving not just family history but social history and brings people of different generations together through understanding and sharing. It’s also enjoyable and rewarding.

If you’re interested in reminiscence and recording people’s stories and memories, then we have funding for training in reminiscence work which will be led by the Living Memory Association. 

Do get in touch with: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk or christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk  if you would like to take part.

Pots of kindness

The second project is an expansion of our earlier Pots of Kindness. That project was so well received that we are going to run another.

This time, as well as primary school children, we are inviting young people of 16+ to get involved.

We will supply the seeds, pots and compost. All you do is plant the seeds and write a short letter to an elderly recipient. We’ll deliver the planted pots with their accompanying letters to the elderly or isolated within the community.

It’s a wonderful way to bring the generations together.

Get in touch with judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you know a young person who would like to get involved.

Annual General Meeting

Finally, we are due to hold our next AGM shortly, probably towards the end of June. If you’ve not become a member, consider doing so now, before the meeting, so that you have the right to vote.

There are two types of membership depending on where you live and you can find out all about it on the website page.

JOIN US.

Remember to check the website and our social media regularly for updates and blogs.

Make the Heart a Home: Heart of Newhaven launches crowdfunder

We’re moving in: help us make The Heart a home

Help us create a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive centre at the Heart of Newhaven, Edinburgh. We have the funds to buy the site, and the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed to sell it to us, and we will have the keys soon but we need your help to make the vision a reality.

The former Victoria Primary School site IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community. The Heart of Newhaven (HoN) will be a brand new intergenerational centre for the whole community to enjoy. The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has awarded us £792,000 and we were given permission to purchase the site. Victoria Primary School has moved to a new building on a different site and we will be taking over the building SOON.

We will have the building soon but now we need YOUR help to refurbish, furnish and heat it and get it properly up and running, while we build sustainable fundraising and other income.

There is more information about how you can donate here: 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/moving-in-2022. 

We are also looking for volunteers for people to help clear up so we can get ready to turn The Heart into a community hub. 

If you can help with the crowdfunder, clearing up the site or would like to get involved in other ways, there is information on the website: 

www.heartofnewhaven.co.uk

We need your support. Thank you for any help you can provide!

Best wishes,

CROWDFUNDER