FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER from 2 – 4pm
Tomorrow: Wardie Bay Litter Pick
Tag: R2
Wardie Bay beach clean
LITTER PICK – 30th OCTOBER from 2pm
We would like to invite all the local residents for our final BEACH CLEANING event in 2026 at Wardie Bay on Friday 30th October. We are very grateful to R2 for their ongoing support in organising our litter picking events.
Do remember that we also have some litter picking equipment at Granton Parish Church we are happy to loan to local community groups.
Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk
ELREC: Women’s cycle on Tuesday
We’re supporting women into cycling in North Edinburgh with Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre as part of our involvement with #northedinburghactivetravel
Come along to our next ride on Tuesday 22nd September at 10am and join this welcoming, supportive group!
There’s lots of active travel support in the area too – just check out the NEAT leaflet for more info:
West Pilton Park to CLOSE for a year
PARK WILL CLOSE ON MONDAY
Local Friends group West Pilton Parklife have been working with Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust on the upgrading of West Pilton Park and they are excited about the latest news.
They said on Facebook: ‘Hello everyone, the works in the park begin next week!
‘Our engagement program will continue. Look out for ways to get involved in some of the park improvements over the summer.
‘We’ll be advertising opportunities around West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre‘
However concerns have been expressed that the park will now be closed during the school summer holidays, which begin next weekend.
The year-long closure also causes a major crisis for North Edinburgh Community Festival.
Original plans would have seen all works completed by May next year, meaning the festival could go ahead as normal. Delays have seen timescales slip back, however, and this could mean the popular community event seeking a new home.
The hugely-popular annual community event takes place on West Pilton Park every year, attracting thousands of visitors, and organisers need urgent answers as they begin planning 2027’s event: – will West Pilton Park be the venue or will the Festival be uprooted and relocated?
Local collective organisation R2 has raised these concern and others, including poor consultation with the local coummunity, with the Park’s Project Development team and it’s understood local councillors will meet with contractors and local stakeholders in an attempt to resolve concerns.
Debbi goes to Holyrood!
Debbi McCulloch, Chief Executive Officer of the Spartans Community Foundation, gave evidence in the Parliament yesterday, where she spoke extensively to the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee about the Foundation’s work in Pilton and the wider community.
During the evidence session Ms McCulloch said that North Edinburgh has fantastic networks and collaboration, referring to R2 and that network’s ability to signpost and help individuals and directly help individuals who might otherwise be missed:
Ms McCulloch said that 94% of young people surveyed by the Spartans said that they felt like they had a trusted adult at the foundation.
She says the Foundation’s work has increased employment and volunteering opportunities and has provided families with a place where they can come and be listened to in a dignified way:
Ms McCulloch also gave examples of the impact of the Foundation’s work, referring to Naomi Hume, who is now the Assistant Operations Manager, who started off attending the Foundation’s Street Football offering:
Funding to help local communities thrive
Boost for North Edinburgh community organisations
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.
Granton Goes Greener: Litter Pick this Saturday
SATURDAY 21st MARCH 11am – 1pm
We are very excited about our next Litter Picking event this Saturday (21/03). This time we will be focusing on Granton Crescent Park, across the road from the Salvation Army.
Huge THANK YOU to R2 for their support with the litter picking equipment.
Tea/coffee and snacks provided.
It is a family friendly event so we would welcome young litter pickers as well as well behaved dogs
Granton Goes Greener: Beach Litter Pick this Saturday
With a bit of sunshine and warmer weather we are ready for our first BEACH LITTER PICKING event at Wardie Bay this Saturday between 11:30 -1pm!
This is a family friendly event supported by R2 project.
Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk
Muirhouse Community Litter Pick
WEDNESDAY 4th FEBRUARY 10am – 12 noon
Join Us To help Clean Up Our Community
Wednesday 4 February 2026 10am-12noon
Free Bike Maintenance session at Granton Parish Church
THURSDAY 27th NOVEMBER from 6 – 8pm
We are very excited to be hosting another FREE BIKE MAINTENANCE session at Granton Parish Church, Edinburgh on Thursday 27th November.
This event is delivered in partnership with North Edinburgh Arts and R2.
Come along and have your bike repaired/checked for FREE. Stay safe on the road and keep cycling wherever you can.
Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk