Edinburgh Local

Community projects

Our staff and students are working with local communities on a variety of interesting projects.

Social Impact Pledge 2023

In February 2023, the Principal of the University of Edinburgh signed a Social Impact Pledge, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to improve its social impact.

Dick Vet in the Community

Therapet session in 127 Nicolson Street
Dick Vet in the Community is a University of Edinburgh community outreach centre providing a physical space for the University’s community projects and partnerships.

Edinburgh Eats

Edinburgh Eats logo
Edinburgh Eats was a proof-of-concept project about a new recipe box scheme designed to help people in food poverty.

Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas

CODI 2018
The Cabaret of Dangerous is a blend of controversial academic research, audience interaction, and a dash of comedy at the world’s largest arts festival!

Re-Act: Working with New Scot’s families

Re-Act playgroup
A brilliant project was formed through a partnership between Moray House School of Education and Sport and Re-Act for the children of Syrian refugees in the community. Re-Act were recipients of a grant through the University's Community Grant Scheme.

Recipe book for people experiencing homelessness

Cooking without a cooker recipe book
A group of second year medical students at the University of Edinburgh have created a cook book, 'Cooking Without a Cooker', for people experiencing homelessness.

Get involved in the Lothian Diary Project

Lothian Diary Project 2
Are you a resident in Edinburgh? Would you like to take part in a project by telling us about your experience of the Covid-19 pandemic?

The University joins forces with local organisations to expand IT distribution efforts

PC Reuse project
A computer donation project has been expanded to support school pupils and community organisations through lockdown.

Craigmillar Now

Craigmillar Now
Craigmillar has an extraordinary history, and a local team are developing a public archive dedicated to it. They received a University grant in 2020, so we caught up with Founder,  Rachel Cloughton  to hear about the  progress.  

Best Buddies

Best Buddies Christmas party 2018
Nearly every Thursday between 7pm-9pm, students from the University of Edinburgh run a social club in the local community for adults with learning disabilities.

Tutors help Syrian refugees to settle in

Student tutors help refugees find their feet
Student tutors are helping young refugees from Syria to adapt to new lives in Edinburgh.

Living and working in Edinburgh

Pregnancy and Parents Centre
Ros Claase works at the University and in her spare time is also very active in the local Edinburgh community. She shares her experiences of being a trustee for a local charity, and how her skills from her job at the University have helped her contribute to her community.

Dirty Weekenders

Dirty Weekenders at work in the community
Every weekend, in all weathers, University students from the Dirty Weekenders Conservation Volunteer Group pull on their wellies to go out and clean up the local environment.

Children’s Holiday Venture

CHV volunteers
For over 50 years, a student-run charity has been helping children from disadvantaged areas of Edinburgh to improve emotional wellbeing, confidence and social skills through having fun.

University Supports Sudanese Forum

The University has supported the launch of the Edinburgh Sudanese Cultural Forum with a Community Grant.

Why Football is More Than Just a Game

As the Scottish Premier League season begins, an academic football course delivered by the University’s Academy of Sport has received praise from its participants.

Students Give Young People a Sporting Chance

Mentees
A new initiative sees University student-athletes mentor young people in the community.

St Mary’s Cathedral Workshop

St Mary's Cathedral Workshop
The Edinburgh Local Community Grants Scheme at the University of Edinburgh is proud to support organisations who are making a great impact in the city and surrounding areas.

The Edinburgh Girls Project

The Edinburgh Girls Project is a project funded by the Edinburgh Local Community Grants Scheme. Hear their inspiring story.

Who deserves a second chance?

A chance to pay back, understand, learn, forgive
The University of Edinburgh is teaming up with Community Justice Scotland in national campaign.

The Edinburgh Pad Project

Edinburgh Pad Project
The Edinburgh Pad Project is a brand new group run by the Edinburgh Remakery and Edinburgh University Students’ Association Volunteering Service.

Re-imagining Nicolson Square

Nicolson Square
Over the last few months, University students and staff have been working together to solve a locally-based challenge: how to tackle anti-social behaviour in public spaces, whilst also promoting social inclusion.

University supports local charity to help vulnerable members of the community

Street Assist logo
The University has provided a one-off donation to Street Assist, a charity that  supports  Edinburgh residents who become vulnerable on weekend nights. 

Investing in early support for young people

Participants of the Y2K project
Mayfield and Easthouses Youth 2000 Project (Y2K) is a place situated in the centre of Mayfield where young people can come, as often or as little as they want,  to activities that are organised around their needs.

Film Poetry Project

Film Poetry Project
The Festival of Creative Learning at the University of Edinburgh has partnered with Magma Poetry on a collaborative film poetry project.

Comic for kinship carers helps de-stress family life

Kinship carers
A comic book full of helpful hints has been launched to support people who play vital caring roles within their family circles.

Friends and Alumni are giving back

We value enormously the contributions of many people who give back in countless ways to the University.

On the trail of Public Art

Ashworth Laboratories Reliefs
Discover our collection of Public Art all around the University.

Raising funds for MND research

Presentation of cheque for MND
World-leading research into motor neurone disease is helped by £4,000 student rugby fundraiser.

Lothian Disability Badminton Club

Badminton Club
Students at our Badminton Club have been helping out fellow players at the Lothian Disability Badminton Club in Midlothian.

Helping Prisoners imagine life beyond bars

Life Beyond Mars
Astrobiologists at the University have been running workshops in two Scottish prisons to imagine life on Mars.

Fàilte – Gaelic outreach in the city

Gaelic in the community
The University has a strong record in supporting Gaelic, establishing Scotland’s first chair of Celtic in 1882 and hosting superb and unique collections.

Pre-wired Coding Club

Prewired Coding Club
An Edinburgh computer programming club for under 19s is a big hit in the city.

Modern Apprenticeship Programme

Modern Apprentices 2018
Modern Apprenticeships at the University are a great way for young people to make a positive start to their career.

A Day to Make A Difference

Finance volunteers help out at St Crispins School
Contributing locally is a University priority and Finance staff are doing their bit.

Our SpeakEasy

SpeakEasy stories
Student project captures local people's stories from the streets of Edinburgh.

Educated Pass

The University is successfully raising educational aspiration though the power of sport, especially football.

Hare & Hounds Running Club

Hare and Hounds running club
Student volunteers are helping children and young people experience the achievement and enjoyment of running.

School of Scottish Studies Archives

School of Scottish Studies Archive
Evocative sound recordings and striking black-and-white images are among the highlights of a newly-refurbished centre showcasing Scotland’s traditional culture.

Digital Ambassador project (ended)

Digital Ambassador group 2017
From 2016 until 2021, the Digital Ambassador project helped to improve digital literacy amongst people in the community.

Harmony Choir performs at Christmas

Harmony Choir rehearsal
A unique community choir created by one of our PhD students is spreading Christmas cheer in Edinburgh.

shrub coop

SHRUB Co-op window
SHRUB is a zero-waste community co-operative in Edinburgh working for a world without waste and empowering people to live a low carbon life.

IDEAL energy project

IDEAL (Intelligent Domestic Energy Advice Loop) is a cutting-edge research project investigating how smart technology can help people save energy in the home.

Re-imagining Hunter Square

Hunter Square design
Edinburgh students have been invited to contribute ideas on how to transform Hunter Square into a safer and more dynamic space.

Edinburgh Remakery

In support of our sustainability programmes, the University partners with the Edinburgh Remakery, a re-use and repair store which relocated to Leith Walk last year.

Preston Street playground

Preston Street playground
The PLOPS (Playground Learning Outdoors Preston Street) initiative connects parents, teachers, University staff and students with the goal of improving play and outside learning experience at the Preston Street Primary School playground.

granton:hub

granton:hub logo
granton:hub is a new charity located in the historic Madelvic House, a Victorian building nestled in between the established and newly-settled communities of Edinburgh’s Waterfront.