Organisations and charities across Edinburgh are to benefit from an extended grants scheme.
The support is part of the University of Edinburgh’s newly launched Community Plan, which includes commitments to support staff volunteering, support student social enterprises, and develop a new learning centre in Craigmillar.
Published today the plan reaffirms the University’s commitment to working with local communities to bring about a positive impact on Edinburgh and its surrounding regions.
Tackling homelessness, promoting digital inclusion and offering support to vulnerable groups are among the key priorities detailed in the ambitious proposals.
Projects such as AMINA, which works with minority ethnic women to enhance their digital skills, and SCORE Scotland, a geoscience summer programme for children in South West Edinburgh, have already benefitted from the University’s grant scheme.
This further boost of £250,000 will enable more worthwhile projects across the Edinburgh City Region to benefit and flourish with much-needed funding.
As well as a financial assistance, the University’s plan outlines a ground-breaking project that will see staff working with local schools and charity IntoUniversity to establish a new learning centre in Craigmillar.
Opening in 2021, the centre will offer educational support, including tuition and mentoring, to young people in the area to enable them to achieve their ambitions.
University staff are also being encouraged to make use of their annual day’s paid volunteering leave to help local communities in whatever way they can.
The plan further signals that the University has confirmed its signing of the Edinburgh 2050 City Vision Charter, which will guide the future growth and direction of the Scottish capital.
Launched in 2016, the Charter has received more than 22,000 public consultation responses, detailing how those who live, work or study in the capital would like it to develop over the next 30 years.
Assistant Principal for Community Relations, Professor Lesley McAra said: “Our Community Plan reasserts our commitment to work with our communities to deliver positive change locally. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of people and organisations pulling together at a local level when facing a global challenge. We want to be a University of, with, and for Edinburgh and the wider region and we look forward to working with local people to help us achieve a better future for everyone.”
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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
