Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust

Help us fill The Crannie with life!

Resident-led, Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust's vision for The Crannie is that it becomes a thriving community hub at the heart of the Old Town, supporting locals to build a community and improve their quality of life. 

What is The Crannie?

The development of The Crannie was in response to a need expressed by the community for a space to:

• Meet: A hub that will build community around a social space

• Work: An affordable place to work, particularly for new local business

• Host Events: A community centre that enables things to happen

• Learn: Creating a culture of learning, volunteering and community action

What are we asking for your support for?

In order to achieve the vision, we need support to continue building activities such as classes, music groups, health and wellbeing sessions, providing a space for people to socialise with their neighbours, craft groups, creative writing sessions, cooking classes, upcycling, art classes and drop in digital support sessions. Currently some of these are being funded short term, but long term we need to build the resource and capacity to allow the centre to increase its sustainability.

Such a space is vital for residents of Edinburgh's Old Town in order to create a balance of places that residents feel are for them, to counter the feeling of being locked out of their own locality by an over-emphasis on tourism.

Why is this important?

There is demand and enthusiasm from locals to create something good at the heart of the city.  If you like to be part of this revitalisation we would welcome your support. 

“The Crannie is a lovely space for people to meet, make friends and chat and have fun. The Wednesday lunch group is great.”

“The Crannie is a fun, warm, friendly place and easy to navigate for someone who is visually impaired.”

About Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust

Established in 2009, Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust (EOTDT) is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in Scotland (SC366198) and a registered Scottish charity (SC042964), committed to the revitalisation of the Old Town through stimulating growth in community participation, the arts and enterprise. 

The Trust aims to support a vibrant, sustainable community in the Old Town by:

• Developing enterprising projects to meet local needs; 

• Establishing a network of gardens and green spaces; 

• Promoting education and training, and;

• Preserving the area’s built and cultural heritage.

VISION 

“A thriving, diverse, balanced and sustainable community where those who live and work are free to enjoy a fulfilling and meaningful existence in an environment which recognises, honours and preserves the unique heritage of the area, while accommodating and facilitating the necessary and desirable needs of the present and future; a community that is unique, inclusive, vibrant, inspiring and welcoming; a community that values and appreciates its heritage.”

Any donation you can give will further this cause and we will be grateful for your support. 

Donation rewards:

Any donation over £2.50 will receive a pdf version of our Crannie Creatives zine. 

£5 or over - receive a limited-edition copy of A Tale on the Mile, by David Guillén

£10 or over - receive 1 volume of The Evergreen: A New Season in the North - choice of four.

£20 or over - receive a 4 volume box set of The Evergreen: A New Season in the North.

£30 or over - receive The Evergreen box set plus a choice of: The Care & Conservation of Shared Georgian Gardens or Visions of Education: Tom Conlon’s Radical Voice for Change. 

£100 or more - receive a copy of each book published by the Word Bank:

• The Evergreen: A New Season in the North Vols 1-4
• The Care & Conservation of Shared Georgian Gardens, by John Byrom
• Scotland’s Homes fit for Heroes, by Lou Rosenburg
• Visions of Education: Tom Conlon’s Radical Voice for Change, by Tom Conlon
• Happy Homes: Cooperation, Community and the Edinburgh Colonies, by Richard Rodger
• A Tale on the Mile, by David Guillén

Find out more about the books available at: https://www.wordbankedinburgh.org/shop/