Community grant scheme hits £200k milestone
A clinic for homeless people's pets, a data literacy club and a choir for refugees are among recent local projects to be backed by University grants.
The Edinburgh Local Community Grant Scheme – which began in 2017 – has now awarded more than £200k to support community groups’ efforts in tackling pressing social issues.
The scheme offers up to £5,000 to groups across Edinburgh and the Lothians to help them develop community initiatives and local learning opportunities.
Edinburgh Local Community Grants
Animal care
All4Paws is a student-run community-based clinic, which offers free veterinary care for pets of homeless and vulnerably-housed people in Edinburgh.
The grant will enable the students to update their equipment to offer the best care possible for both animals and their owners.
Upskilling initiatives
An innovative club that encourages young people to engage with data was also awarded a community grant.
Datakirk aims to empower young people with data literacy and analytics skills to help them get future jobs.
A further funded project, About Youth, provides support for 14 to 16 year-olds who are struggling with secondary education.
Funding through the community grants scheme will enable us to continue to reach out and provide a bespoke group-work programme of support and opportunities to young people who at a critical stage in their lives exploring their future pathways.
Inclusive arts projects
The Welcoming Association was awarded a grant to support its community choir for adult refugees, migrant and minority ethnic communities.
The choir helps people from these groups make new friends, build confidence and improve their health and wellbeing through regular social interaction.
The grant will greatly enable the organisation to keep this very popular activity going and to continue to attract people from the City's minority ethnic communities to join and share with us their culture, their songs and their love of singing.
Further projects awarded a grant include a community-owned bothy with a sensory play area, a youth club and a range of digital music and art workshops.