Author Archives: Bruce Ryan

Applications deadline coming soon, support session

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Don’t wait until the very last minute! Please get your application in to Leith Chooses as soon as possible. There is only a week left before the window for applications closes (October 12th)!

If you are a constituted body, you can apply for up to £5,000 and the Leith community will vote in January 2027 to choose the favoured proposals.

If you need more information, or help or advice with your application, come to a drop-in session. We really want to help you to get your application sorted and submitted! Applications are online, so we’ll bring some laptops to enable you to write and edit your application, and perhaps submit there and then. We’ll also bring paper versions of the application forms, in case that helps you write your application.

  • Date: Wednesday 7th October
  • Time: 3pm – 5pm (drop in any time)
  • Venue: The Learning Centre (upstairs), McDonald Road Library, 2-8 McDonald Rd, EH7 4LU
  • Come along to find out more about the funding process, ask questions, and get support with putting your application together. Feel free to drop in at any point during the session.

Please just get in touch directly by email if you have any questions and can’t make this session.

photo of Rachel, linking to video of her talking about the application video

Deadline coming soon!

Applicant support sessions

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In case you need more information, or help or advice with your application, we have arranged support sessions . The online ones are via Microsoft Teams, but you don’t need a Microsoft/Teams account to use them, just a browser and an internet connection.

  • 17 August 14:30 to 15: 30, online via Teams. Register here
  • 24 August, 17:30, in-person drop-in at Leith Community Centre
  • 7 September 17:30, in-person drop-in at Broughton St Mary’s Church (Bellevue Room)
  • 30 September 17:30 to 18:30, online via Teams. Register here

If you can’t make any of these, please get in touch directly by email and/or arrange an individual meeting locally or a 1:1 online session.

There are some very minor changes this year, so coming to a session or a quick (email) chat may well be helpful to you.

Applications are open!

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The application window for LeithChooses funding is now open!

Application links

All applications are online this year, but if you have difficulty with the form below, please contact us via 07743 167 340 or LeithChooses@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Remember that the application window closes at the end of 12 October. Time moves fast, so we suggest you start working on your application as soon as you can.

This year’s theme

This year’s theme is Greater Leith Harmony. Read more about this on our ‘Theme‘ page.

Help and support

In case you need help or advice with your application, we have arranged these online sessions. (They are via Microsoft Teams, but you don’t need a Microsoft/Teams account to use them, just a browser and an internet connection.)

In-person support sessions

Drop-in face to face sessions are also available, as follows:

  • 24 August, 17:30 Leith Community Centre
  • 7 September, 17:30 at Broughton St. Mary’s church (Bellevue Room)

If these dates don’t suit, you can also get in touch directly by email and/or arrange an individual meeting locally or a 1:1 online session.

Picture of a clock, and the words 'TIME TO PLAN'

The LeithChooses 2025/2026 results are in!

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The results are now in for LeithChooses 2025/2026.

Following the voting day and the online voting period, and after totting up all the votes cast by the Leith community, the groups that have been successful in receiving funding for their community projects are now revealed  (in no particular order):

  • Milan Senior Welfare Organisation
  • Dr Bell’s Family Centre
  • Living Memory Association
  • Leith Community Growers
  • Water of Leith Conservation Trust
  • Edinburgh Community Food
  • Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council
  • Pilmeny Development Project
  • Mustard Seed Edinburgh
  • Kin Collective Family Wellbeing

Congratulations to all of them, and wishing them the very best of luck in getting their projects up and running.

Commiserations to all those who were not successful on this occasion. We wish you well in all your other undertakings.

Warmest thanks to ALL who took part.

 

More support for applicants

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If you’re considering applying for LeithChooses funding but have any questions at all, you are very welcome to come to any of these support sessions (details updated due to factors beyond our control):

  • Saturday 4 Oct, 10am – 4pm at Utilita Leith (Kirkgate) 2:30 to 5pm at Persevere room, Leith Community Centre
  • Wednesday 15 Oct, 5.30pm at Leith Community Centre.

No need to book – just come along!

If you can’t make any of these, you are very welcome to email us at LeithChooses@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Reminders: LeithChooses applications are open, support for applicants

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Applications now open

Local charities and constituted community groups are invited to apply for project funding of up to £5,000. As usual, projects should be new or adding new value that will be of benefit to the community in Leith. Projects should start after 31st March 2026 and run until March 2027 at the latest. The theme for this year is ‘Well-being in Leith’. Continue reading →

Applications for LeithChooses 2025/26 are now open!

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Local charities and constituted community groups are invited to apply for project funding of up to £5,000. As usual, projects should be new or adding new value (not continued funding of an existing service) that will be of benefit to the community in Leith. Projects should be designed to start after 31st March 2026 and run until March 2027 at the latest. The theme for this year is ‘Well-being in Leith’ and the deadline for applications is midnight on Wednesday 22nd October 2025.

We welcome your applications using our new online form at edinburgh.gov.uk/applyleithchooses. If you would like access to the application form in a different format, please contact leithchooses@edinburgh.gov.uk or 07743 167 340.

Be sure to also download and read the LeithChooses guidance notes, to check if your project is eligible, and to guide you in putting together your application. You can also read additional guidance and a sample application form from Edinburgh Council.

If you have any questions or would like any support from the steering group with your application, please get in touch as early as possible to allow time for discussions, by emailing leithchooses@edinburgh.gov.uk.

You are also welcome to come along to a Steering Group meeting, to discuss your project ideas, and ask for advice on completing the Application Form. See ‘About’ page for details.

We look forward to hearing your ideas for new projects.

LeithChooses 2024-2025 is open for applications now!

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LeithChooses 2024-2025 is now open for applications!
Local charities and community groups* are invited to apply for project funding of up to £5,000 for a new project.
         The new theme this year is Leith Uniting.
Hopefully this is open enough to allow for all sorts of creative interpretations. Looking forward to hearing your ideas for new projects!

As usual, projects are invited that are new or adding new value (not continued funding of an existing service) that will be of benefit to the community in Leith. Projects should be designed to start after 1 April 2025 and run until March 2026 at the latest.

Please do ask for help and support in putting together your application if you wish. Contact leithchooses@edinburgh.gov.uk Please submit your application as early as you can – that then leaves time for any questions or adjustments that may be necessary, and avoids the stressful ‘last minute rush’! At the very latest, application forms must be submitted by 10th October 2024.

*only organisations that have a Constitution and a bank account may apply

Please download an application form here, and be sure to also download and study the Guidance Notes, to help you ascertain if your project is eligible, and to guide you in putting together your application. Various formats are available:

format Application Form Guidance Notes
DOCX Application form (DOCX format) Guidance notes (DOCX format)
DOC Application form (DOC format) Guidance notes (DOC format)
PDF Application form (PDF format) Guidance notes (PDF format)

You will also be able to pick up a paper form at Leith Library, McDonald Road Library, Leith Community Centre, Out of the Blue, Duncan Place.

LeithChooses Results 2023-2024 – update

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Sadly, one of the community groups that had won funding from this round of LeithChooses has closed down. Hence this funding has been offered to the next highest in the list of results – and this group has gratefully accepted.

The list of funded groups is now

  • The Men of Leith Men’s Shed
  • Citadel Youth Centre
  • Edinburgh Remakery
  • Leith Festival
  • Edinburgh Tool Library
  • Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
  • Hibernian Community Foundation
  • Dr Bells Family Centre
  • Leith Athletic
  • ELREC
  • Edinburgh Community Food
  • Himalayan Centre
  • Hermitage Park School Association (partial funding)

If you want to know more about what all these groups / projects are about, you can check them out at our gallery.

LeithChooses applicants – acknowledging receipt of your applications

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LeithChooses has received quite a few applications by now. (Hint: deadline for applications is 24 October.) All the applications that we receive will be acknowledged by Jade Mooney (Jade.Mooney@edinburgh.gov.uk).

But if you have emailed an application and Jade hasn’t acknowledged receipt (sometimes emails with big attachments get stuck), please send a new email with no attachments to Jade. Please also copy in Bruce Ryan (bruceleithchooses@icloud.com), so there is an alternative email route.

Alternatively, please phone Jade on 07708 899544.