We host a vital annual Festival which benefits residents of North Edinburgh facing socio-economic challenges. These areas encompassing Granton, Pilton and Muirhouse experience one of the highest levels of deprivation, poverty, and inequality in Scotland. We seek to address these issues by promoting employment, training, and recreation opportunities. We tackle challenges such as worklessness, low education attainment, and social isolation by providing a day long free festival that fosters community cohesion, reduces social isolation, and celebrates the area's diversity.
Our strength lies in our collaborative working model, with involvement from residents, artists, the local third sector and public sector bodies. Over 150 local charities, organisations and groups participate reaching more disadvantages families and individuals on this one day, than they do in 6 months.
Families and individuals find out about essential services that help alleviate some hardships – cost of living crisis, debt management, citizens advice, opportunities for jobs, learning and upskilling; children and young people try out creative activities, educational workshops, skill-building, sports and physical activities. By hosting a range of recreational, cultural, educational, leisure, and social activities, we create opportunities for community engagement and personal development.
We provide free hot food ensuring that children and young people have access to at least 1 hot meal that week, relieving some financial strain on families. We hand out over 3000 free hot meals and hope to increase that this year.
This year we’ll see over 150 community stalls, over 600 local young people and over 200 families participate in the festival parade with an average of 10,000 local residents attending the festival.
The festival has imbedded itself within this community and a recently won award for the Best Festival in Edinburgh, pays tribute to this. We play a vital role in celebrating cultural diversity and promoting inclusivity, breaking down cultural barriers, and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported. The festival may only last 1 day, but its impact extends all year round. It acts as a catalyst for organisations and groups, fostering collective collaboration and serving as a showcase for most groups and charities operating in North Edinburgh.
We have exhausted the usual pots of funding over the past 3 years and find that funding is now project based with few that cover core costs. We want to expand our reach and impact through increased engagement with local schools and youth groups, tailored to the needs and interests of young people. We aspire to create more year-round initiatives that address socio-economic challenges and foster inclusivity and cultural exchange, ensuring that all residents, feel valued and supported. We aim to strengthen our partnerships with local organisations, businesses, and volunteers, to drive home positive change.
We require funding to host such a large important festival annually but also want to employ local young people part-time, providing job opportunities and pathways to future employment. Additionally, we aim to host a Food Showcase to promote food growing and cultural recipe exchange.