Save the date – our Community Grant scheme will open for applications on Monday 25 March 2024!
Our scheme helps the development of projects, community activities and sustainable local action through funding and collaboration. We support local people’s vision for a better Edinburgh.
We award project grants of up to a maximum of £5,000, but welcome applications for less
The application process is simple and a member of the Community team will be on hand to support you if you have any questions, just contact local@ed.ac.uk or call us on 0131 651 5000.
Applicants may only receive one grant per project
Please read our guidance notes before applying, to check eligibility criteria and other helpful information
We do not fund projects that have already been completed
Please note: You should aim to start your project around four months after the deadline.
Our micro-grant scheme is open all year round for applications for funding of up to £500: apply for a micro-grant here
If you require application materials in an alternative format, please email local@ed.ac.uk or call 0131 651 5000, or ask a friend or family member to do so for you.
We can send you a printed copy of the form by post on request.
If you need any help completing the form, we are happy to try and help.
We can talk with you online, over the phone or in person (at a mutually suitable venue).
New aquatic exercise research for fall prevention looking for participants to get involved
An exciting new aquatic exercise research study is looking for participants to get involved.
Aqua Steps, is a new exercise programme, developed by experts in the field from the University of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh Leisure. The programmes are delivered as part of a research project, and aims to improve the balance, strength, endurance, confidence, and independence of the participants.
One-third of people aged 65 years or over fall every year with more than 4 million people falling each year in the UK, which is approximately 11,000 people daily. Falls reduce quality of life, lead to nursing home admissions, cause about 90% of hip fractures and half of deaths due to injury. The annual NHS and social care cost for fall-related injuries is more than £3.3 billion.
Older adults who have some of the following: feel unstable/unsteady; have poor gait or balance, have a history of falling or are at risk of falling, have low bone density or previous fracture are encouraged to get in touch to take part.
Dr Stelios Psycharakis, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at the University of Edinburgh said: “Aquatic exercise can improve many of these factors and has many benefits.
“For example, the buoyancy of the water reduces spine and joint loads and allows exercising without having to support one’s weight, while the pressure of the water on the body assists with balance and mobility which may be preferable for people who find land exercise challenging or have high risk/fear of falling.”
Amy Fastier, Health Development Officer (Falls Prevention) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.
“The study is looking to see if water-based classes have similar benefits as land based as there is no current research on water based activity in preventing falls.
“Participants don’t need to be strong swimmers as the exercises take place in shallow water and everyone will be encouraged to work at their own pace during the class, guided by our expert instructors.
“People who may have difficulty getting in and out of the pool without some help, are welcome to bring along a family member, carer, or friend.
“Pools hoists (for safe entry/exit from the water) are available at swimming pools and will be used when necessary.”
High-quality research on aquatic exercise in fall prevention is scarce. This programme will deliver an aquatic intervention for people with high risk of falls. The data we get will be used to look at the programme’s effects on falls risk and compare it with an established land-based programme, Steady Steps, which is delivered by Edinburgh Leisure to see whether there are similar benefits to the existing research on land-based classes.
The classes are free, with the cost covered by funding provided by the Chief Scientist Office for Scotland. The exercise sessions will take place in the shallow water only in one of five swimming pools in Edinburgh and Midlothian*.
The pools are Warrender Swim Centre (Marchmont), Dalry Swim Centre (Dalry), Ainslie Park Leisure Centre (Inverleith/Pilton), Glenogle Swim Centre (Stockbridge) and Penicuik Leisure Centre (Penicuik).
Participants would be required to attend for two sessions per week (30 minutes in the water for each session) over a course of 16 weeks. Different time slots will be available.
The programme will start in the first week of March 2024 (last week of March for Penicuik).
Interested parties willing to take part should contact the Aqua Steps administrator, Diane Chirnside on AquaSteps@ed.ac.uk and will be assessed for their willingness/ability to participate and complete the intervention.
Spaces are limited so people are encouraged to get in touch as soon as possible, and ideally by early to mid-February.
OVER 100 pupils aged between 16-18 from Scottish schools played the part of politicians, journalists, and lobbyists to debate on the climate crisis.
They were taking part in the British Council’s COP28 Climate Simulation Negotiation at Moray House, School of Education, University of Edinburgh, and had the opportunity to find out what it’s really like to negotiate a climate deal.
Delivered with Learning for Sustainability Scotland this debate was the first time the event has come to Scotland and the first in a series coordinated by the British Council in five cities across the UK.
The event kicked off with a keynote address from Learning for Sustainability lead at Scottish Government, Lucia Ramon Mateo, with the debate taking place in the run-up to the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates which starts on November 30.
During the negotiations, the pupils had to agree on a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and successfully reduce global temperature rises to no greater than 2 degrees C, making sure that all countries were on target to reduce temperatures by 2030. To do this, they used computer software developed by Climate Interactive and MIT to create a real-life climate simulation.
They were led by Professor Peter Higgins, Director of the United Nations University Regional Centre for ESD (Scotland) and Professor Dave Reay, Executive Director at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute and Professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh.
Attending the event students Rosie Zisman, and Raphael Uddin from Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh shared the role of United Nations Secretariat General.
Speaking about the negotiations, Raphael said: “Today our aim was to reduce greenhouse emissions drastically and we just reached the target agreement for warming, bang on 2.0 degrees.
“We were able to work together, compromise, and reach this goal and no countries were left behind or lost out. It was also great to have schools from Egypt join us today, to hear about their experience during COP27 and to get an insight into the different issues, especially with COP28 coming up in Dubai”.
Rosie added:“We managed to reach consensus to fund $1billion in climate financing per year globally, which was a big win.
“At 2 degrees, we will still see dramatic increases in climate change. Today gave us just a flavour of what is possible and it is progress, but not our final destination”.
Speaking at the event, Professor Reay said: “We’ve seen skilled negotiations from the students today and many congratulations to all those taking part who have worked diligently debating the issues.
“It is extremely important that we have opportunities like this to maintain the conversation about the vital importance of keeping warming under 1.5 degrees.
“This event shows that while the global conversation on the climate crisis still falters, young people have the energy, drive and ambition to focus and ask the hard questions. Today at Moray House, we have had the privilege of working with future policy makers and global citizens, a generation who already know that activism for the planet is crucial”.
Peter Brown, Director, British Council Scotland provided a welcome to the students, he said about the event:“Well done to all those involved in today’s event – I’m delighted that young people from across Scotland, the wider UK, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates are coming together to actively engage in the challenges of climate change.
“Our research at the British Council shows clearly that the climate crisis is of deep concern – particularly to young people, and this event has put students at the head of the negotiating table.
“It has given them a unique chance to experience the realities of diplomacy and international negotiation such as that taking place at COP28, providing them with the skills and confidence to take on some of the world’s biggest challenges.”
The initiative is part of the British Council’s Schools Connectprogramme for schools in the UK and around the world. The British Council works with education policymakers to explore effective practices from other countries and help teachers to bring an international perspective to the curriculum. This supports all young people to build the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to respond to global challenges and develop international understanding.
Through the Climate Connection programme, the British Council is also supporting people globally to find creative solutions to climate change in support of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in UAE this month.
The British Council is supporting the summit by engaging with networks of education professionals, students, academics, researchers, artists, civil society leaders and policymakers to participate in meaningful dialogue and bring about real change for our planet.
This event continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching.
To find out more about their work in Scotland visit:
Edinburgh Women’s Aid, (EWA), which marks 50 years of supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse, unveils ‘A Source of Strength’ exhibition in partnership with Stills: Centre for Photography in Cockburn Street and the University of Edinburgh, which runs until tomorrow (28 October).
The exhibition is part of the Economic Social Research Council, (ESRC), Festival of Social Science, building on research that finds the relationship between children and mothers can help improve the impact that domestic abuse has on children.
It offers visitors the chance to view photographs created by children and mothers about their relationships together and the importance of them, and the role they play in protecting and supporting children to recover from domestic abuse.
Dr Fiona Morrison, Programme Director for Childhood Practice, University of Edinburgh, said: “These beautiful photographs were taken by children and women, which celebrate the strength that children and mothers find in each other when living with and recovering together from domestic abuse.”
Over the past two years the charity has provided support to 440 children and young people in Edinburgh who have experienced domestic abuse with everything from giving them a safe place to stay in a refuge, specialist housing support, legal advice and help securing employment.
Linda Rodgers, CEO at Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “This exhibition is a great opportunity to honour and showcase the strength of the relationship between mothers and children experiencing domestic abuse.
“Thanks to everyone who helped bring it together including the families we have been working with, Stills Centre for Photography and the University of Edinburgh.”
The free exhibition at Stills: Centre for Photography is on from11-5pm at Cockburn Street until tomorrow – Saturday, 28th October.
The UNESCO Week of Sound, a week of events organised around the themes of hearing health, the sound environment and musical expression which aims to educate the public and raise awareness about the importance of the quality of our sound environment, is taking place in Edinburgh this week, it’s first edition in the United Kingdom.
Edinburgh Central MSP and culture secretary Angus Robertson has welcomed the event, saying: “I’m delighted that Edinburgh has been chosen by UNESCO as the first city in the UK to host this global cultural event. Edinburgh and Scotland’s links with UNESCO are strong, and the Week of Sound taking place here is another demonstration of our close bond.
“When I visited the global headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, we celebrated the success of the world’s first-ever UNESCO trail—based in Scotland—that brings together some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites.
“Of course, the week-long festival will itself be taking place in a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the centre of my constituency – Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns. I invite all to take a look at the programme and enjoy the free events.”
Produced in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the UNESCO Week of Sound will take place the week commencing Monday 16th October 2023 and will host a number of concerts, workshops, talks and discussions on sound and how it relates to some of the predominant issues and questions of our time.
Head of the University of Edinburgh’s Reid School of Music, based at Edinburgh College of Art, Dr Martin Parker, who is leading the UNESCO Week of Sound in Edinburgh, said: “The UNESCO Week of Sound explores how sound connects with some of the biggest issues facing the world today. From climate change and mental health to the sounds of protest and community action to artificial intelligence.
“The Reid School of Music at the University of Edinburgh is the perfect place to engage the public and student body with new ideas and performances that connect with global challenges that concern us all.
“We are thrilled to host a new chapter of the UNESCO Week of Sound here in Edinburgh.”
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson MSP who will give a speech at the event next week, welcomed the news that the UNESCO Week of Sound will be held in the Scottish capital.
He said: “I’m delighted to welcome the UNESCO Week of Sound to Edinburgh, the first city in the UK to host this global event.
“With our 12 UNESCO designations across Scotland—including Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns and the Forth Bridge—our links with the United Nation’s global cultural body is strong.
“I greatly look forward to building on this during the UNESCO Week of Sound.”
The UNESCO Week of Sound takes place in Edinburgh from Monday 16th October to Friday 20th October 2023.
All events held at the UNESCO Week of Sound are free.
To find out more and book tickets for the events, please visit www.weekofsound.scot.
Scotland is set to receive its first total-body scanner in a boost to clinical research that aims to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex, multi-organ diseases.
The Total-Body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facility, due to be operational in 2024, will capture images of patients’ entire bodies quicker, in more detail and use less radiation than existing scanners.
In combination with data from the other new scanner in London, the Scotland scanner forms part of a new National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) which experts believe will accelerate the development of new drugs and diagnostics.
The platform, a partnership between Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK, aims to advance healthcare research and clinical trials, and unlock new treatments for complex diseases like cancer as well as cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
The NPIP Scotland Total-Body PET facility will allow academics to connect to the new platform to share data and collaborate on research.
The scanners are part of a £32 million investment intothe ground-breaking technology by the UK Government, through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund.
The facility, based at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, will be jointly managed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
NPIP’s Total-Body PET scanners have higher sensitivity than current technology and will reveal new insights into biology and disease.
PET scanning is a non-invasive imaging technique that can detect diseases’ early onset.
Current PET technology leaves large sections of the human body out of the field of view, requiring the patient to be repositioned multiple times to achieve a full-body view.
Supplied by Siemens Healthineers, the two Total-Body PET scanners will capture superior images of a patient’s entire body in near real-time.
The new scanners are also faster, exposing patients to much lower doses of radiation, meaning more patients – including children – can participate in clinical trials to improve understanding of diseases.
The speed of Total-Body PET scanners mean that NPIP will be able to facilitate more patient scans, enhancing the scale and impact of clinical research projects.
This richer picture of human health will help researchers to develop new diagnostics, improve the quality and speed of drug discovery, and bring them to market quicker to benefit patients.
NPIP’s network of infrastructure and intelligence will provide a complete picture of patients and how they respond to new drugs and treatments.
Uniquely, it will also connect insights from many research programmes and trials. In doing so, it will begin to build a rich bank of data that the PET community can access for the benefit of patients.
Professor David Newby, The University of Edinburgh, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “The Scotland Total-Body PET facility will bring together academics, industry and clinicians to create an integrated and accessible national PET facility for the benefit of patients across Scotland and the north of England.
“The Total-Body PET scanner will allow us to examine patients in ways that haven’t been possible before, propelling medical innovation and discovery, and ultimately improving the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases, including cancer.”
Dr David Lewis, University of Glasgow, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “Total-Body PET scanners are a quantum leap forward in the technology of body scanning, and we are proud that a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow will jointly manage one of the first of these cutting-edge scanners in the UK.
“The Scotland Total-Body PET scanner will be a catalyst for innovative new research and cross-sector collaboration, ultimately benefitting patients by improving our understanding of complex diseases.”
Dr Juliana Maynard, Director of Operations and Engagement for the National PET Imaging Platform and Head of Translational Imaging at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “PET scanning is nothing short of transformational for patients who need it the most.
“Total-Body PET scanners can detect serious diseases with unprecedented speed and accuracy. NPIP will allow the kind of collaboration in imaging research the likes of which the UK has never seen before. It means that, collectively, we can power forward drug discovery with renewed confidence and drive world-leading capabilities in detection, diagnosis, and treatment.”
COLLECTION DAY: SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER from 10am – 4pm
Their Finest Hour is a digital preservation project run by the University of Oxford, and supported by volunteers around the country, which aims to collate as many World War Two stories and artefacts as possible from across the UK.
The project is running a series of Digital Collection Days across the UK, where members of the public can bring war-related memories, photographs, diaries, and any other remnants of the War to be recorded and uploaded to a free-to-access online archive.
As these stories are fast fading from living memory, it is vital that they – and the wartime objects that often accompany them – are preserved for future generations.
The Collection Day will be taking place Saturday 25th November between 10:00-16:00, at Rainy Hall, New College, University of Edinburgh if you are interested in attending.
Sign-ups for the event are not compulsory, but would be appreciated (so that we can gauge numbers) via the following link: https://edin.ac/451MiRy.
Business leader, educator and entrepreneur Judy Wagner has been appointed Vice Chair of neurodiversity champions Salvesen Mindroom Centre.
Ms Wagner, a strong advocate for diversity in the workplace for three decades, has been a trustee of the Edinburgh-based charity for the past three years during which time her influential business network has helped to expand the charity’s reach and impact.
She has also enabled the charity to broaden its scope of service delivery and attracted new clients and opportunities to extend its services.
An Edinburgh University graduate and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, she has been heavily involved in championing diversity issues since co-founding international executive search business FWB Park Brown in 1993 and has also worked with Scottish Enterprise to establish the Balancing the Boardroom project, the first of its kind in Scotland for women on boards.
Last year she was part of an independent review on Women in Entrepreneurship commissioned by the Scottish Government. She focused on the education sector, liaising with key leaders across the whole sector, examining how enterprise and diversity, including neurodiversity, could be embedded in our education system.
“There is no doubt that the best teams embrace diversity of all forms,” she says. “And the benefits of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace are well proven in ensuring success, attracting and retaining key talent and creating a welcoming environment.”
Ms Wagner, who is also passionate about Salvesen Mindroom’s role as a key partner in the Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, part of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at The University of Edinburgh, is committed to helping establish the charity as a centre of excellence for Neurodiversity, supporting children, young people and those in the workplace with leading research, advice and practical resources.
Salvesen Mindroom Centre’s Chair Sandy Manson, who has long argued for diversity to become a key business priority, says: “Judy’s ethos and enthusiasm are a perfect fit for us.
“She embraces everything we are trying to achieve and has already proved an impressive force for good on various fronts, including using her networks to publicise and attract delegates for the global It Takes All Kinds Of Minds conference we held in the city in March. We look forward to enhancing our offering further with her guidance as Vice Chair.”
Salvesen Mindroom Centre is a charity that champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds. Their mission is to be a leading centre for change, in how we live, work and learn. They will achieve this through support, education, advocacy, and research. Visit their website for more information on the charity’s work.
Environmentally conscious SMEs are being offered the chance to reduce their carbon footprint and lower energy bills thanks to a new partnership between Royal Bank of Scotland, the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) and the University of Edinburgh.
The free course allows businesses to identify the simple, cost-effective steps they can take to reduce emissions and save on outgoings while also helping the planet at the same time.
Successful applicants will take part in three 2-hour workshops that begin by helping SMEs to understand their own energy and carbon usage data and how they can build their own tailored ‘Carbon Reduction Plan’.
The free workshops also explain how taking positive environmental action can result in lower energy usage and therefore lower bills. Organisations can become more cost efficient by making positive changes such as changing boiler settings, installing smart lighting systems, swapping to sustainable suppliers and upgrading insulation.
The scheme is currently accepting applications from all sectors, having already supported over 60 participants from industries such as manufacturing, charity and education.
Applications for the next cohort close on 3rd October, with a later session set to launch at the start of November also welcoming candidates.
Code Hostels completed the course earlier this year and has used the learnings from the programme to make sustainable improvements across the business, including buying more produce from local suppliers and switching to eco-friendly cleaning products.
Talking of his experience, Jamie Greig, Operations and Design Consultant at Code Hostels, said:“The programme was a game changer for us. As a business, when you start looking at reducing emissions it can seem like an incredibly daunting process, and net zero targets can seem a long way off.
“We found it really valuable to chat to the other groups on the cohort, and we quickly realised we weren’t alone in the challenges we were facing.
“Sustainability in the hospitality industry is a personal passion of mine and we know that many other SMEs across the hospitality sector are experiencing the same challenges as we had at Code. I now run my own separate business, Our Property Bear, using energy monitors to help hotels and hostels monitor and reduce their energy consumption.”
Judith Cruickshank, Chair, One Bank Scotland said:“Royal Bank of Scotland is delighted to work with the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Climate Change Institute to deliver a programme which can make a real difference to SMEs across all sectors.
“It offers the insight, learnings and access to experts to help businesses see the opportunities it can offer them – and see the potential tackling climate change could make.”
Prof Dave Raey, Executive Director of ECCI, University of Edinburgh said:“The Climate Springboard programme is inspiring. The great engagement and responses from participating businesses is a testament to the fantastic work of the team here at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute and our partners at the Royal Bank of Scotland.
“In simultaneously helping to cut energy costs and carbon emissions for such a wide array of businesses, they are delivering exactly the kinds of cost-effective climate action so desperately needed in every sector.”
The scheme is currently accepting applications from all sectors, having already supported over 60 participants from industries such as manufacturing, charity and education.
Applications for the next cohort close on 3rd October, with a later session set to launch at the start of November also welcoming candidates.
SMEs looking to learn more about their emissions and how they can start reducing them are invited to register their interest here. More information about the programme is available here.
Do you have memories of The Old Royal Infirmary that you would like to share? We want to hear them!
The “Recycling a Hospital” project aims to reuse wood and slate from the reconstruction of the Old Royal Infirmary, the future home of the Edinburgh Futures Institute, to honour memories connected to the building.
Please join our Recycling a Hospital Community Poetry and Image Workshop where we hope to bring together people from the community with memories of the building (births, illness, recovery, and so on) that we can shape into text.
