LeithChooses is a mechanism for democratically dispensing grant funding to projects operating in the Leith Neighbourhood Network area, which (roughly) comprises the City of Edinburgh Council wards Leith Walk (ward 12) and Leith (ward 13), and the three Leith Community Council areas.
LeithChooses was started in 2010 (and was known as ‘£eith Decides’ at that point), pioneered then by Councillor Maggie Chapman and City of Edinburgh council officer Lorraine Duckworth. Leith was a ground-breaker and a leader – £eith Decides was the first example of ‘participatory budgeting’ in Scotland, and amongst the first in the world.
Learn more about what Leith Chooses does.
Learn more about how Participatory Budgeting works.
For more information about participatory budgeting in general, as it is today in Scotland, see PB Scotland and explore the PB Network.
The LeithChooses project is led by the Steering Group in conjunction with the City of Edinburgh Council’s Community Empowerment and Engagement team.
The current (August 2025) composition of the Leith Chooses Steering Group is:
| Name | Member of |
| Councillor Susan Rae (Chair) | City of Edinburgh Council – Leith Walk councillor |
| Sally Millar | Leith Links Community Council |
| Don Giles | Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council |
| Abigail Cunningham | Leith Links Community Council |
| Bruce Ryan | Works / Volunteers in Leith |
| Councillor Jack Caldwell | City of Edinburgh Council – Leith Walk councillor |
| Guanyu Jason Ran | Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council |
| Rachel Hutton | Harbour Homes, Lives / Works / Volunteers in Leith |
| Donna Hall / Natasha Baillie | Works in Leith, Utilita (Leith Energy Hub) |
| Lisa Clark | Lives / Volunteers in Leith |
The Steering Group meets more or less weekly throughout the year, but there is an option to attend less frequently (e.g. at monthly evening meetings), or as personal scheduling allows.
If you’re interested in joining the Steering Group, please contact us.
