Edinburgh community groups share in latest National Lottery funding

Community groups across Edinburgh will be able to provide vital services and support for thousands of local people thanks to the latest round of National Lottery funding.

North Edinburgh Arts have been awarded £148,821 for their “Green Projects” programme which provides green spaces for local people to come together and offers volunteering opportunities and arts and garden activities for people of all ages.

North Edinburgh Arts has received National Lottery funding for its "Green Projects" which include gardening opportunities.

Manager Valla Moodie said: “This funding will enable us to start an exciting phase of work as we move back into our refurbished and extended building after two years in temporary venues, setting up our new community shed workshop and redeveloping our community garden.”

An award of £126,671 will enable Deaf Action to run a digital literacy programme to help deaf people across the city with one-to-one sessions and group work covering topics such as word processing, scam awareness, healthcare apps and video calling software.

The charity’s community services manager Lauren McAnna said: “We will support deaf adults and older people who face significant barriers to communication and social inclusion and who are likely to be experiencing financial hardship.”

Home-Start Edinburgh has been awarded £172,407 to support isolated parents across Edinburgh through one to one home visits, group work, perinatal support service and financial hardship support.

The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain receives £116,930 to support the continued delivery of cultural, social and integrational activities from their centre in Edinburgh.

Other awards include £19,929 to Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland, allowing them continue to identify more victims of human trafficking across the Capital.

Bereavement support charity, Caledonia Funeral Aid, secured £30,000 to run a new project for supporting people with the financial and emotional costs of planning a funeral.

And Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre receives £8,720 to employ sessional staff, and to purchase items for their sharing shelf and baby bank. Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine said many of the charities provided a “brilliant range of opportunities” for people of all ages to get involved and make a real difference to people’s lives in Edinburgh and beyond.