Community
Community
Our hope is for the Lothian Diary Project to be of support to our community during these difficult times.
On this page we showcase our community partners and describe the opportunities for you to help us #giveback to the community.
Meeting and talking directly with the public has been extremely difficult during the pandemic. However, we have been really fortunate to have been able to find the perfect space in which to promote our project in a Covid- and community-friendly way!
That space is the Leith Walk Police Box, a community popup space housed in a former police box on Leith Walk, and run by Monty Roy. The space can be rented for community and commercial purposes, and we have now been fortunate to rent it several times in order to speak to people about their experiences of the pandemic!
Its owner Monty Roy has also given us a great deal of support in helping us to hear the lockdown stories of a number of people living in difficult situations throughout the city. Thank you Monty for all your help!
To find out more about our events at the Leith Walk Police Box, have a look at our events page.
If you’d like to find out more about the Leith Walk Police Box itself, you can check out its website, or have a look at its Facebook page!
The pandemic has hit local businesses and non-profit organisations hard. Despite governmental support, many have suffered financially. Many have been working tirelessly throughout lockdown to support those in need, and are, themselves, in need of support.
You can make a difference to these organisations, simply by participating in The Lothian Diary Project. Besides using a charity support code (see “Support our charity partners code”), you can choose to receive your payment for taking part in the form of a £15 voucher for a local business, to support them as they begin to reopen to the public. Or, you can request that we donate your payment directly to support the work of your favourite charity.
Plus, if you refer the project to someone else you know, you can also earn a further £5 to help those in need.
Let’s start #givingback to our community together!
The Lothian Diary Project is working with Museums and Galleries Edinburgh to integrate the video and audio diaries of willing participants into their collections, to preserve our experiences of the pandemic for posterity.
Museums and Galleries Edinburgh are also investigating and documenting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the people of Edinburgh in their ongoing project, Covid-19 Contemporary Collecting. The project seeks to create a collection of objects that have been of significance to Edinburgh residents throughout the lockdown, to create a tangible, physical record of this period in our city’s history.
The Scottish Parliament is working to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the lives and livelihoods of people all across Scotland. At the completion of our project, we plan to prepare a report which we will submit to the parliament’s Covid-19 Committee. It is hoped that our findings will be valuable in helping inform future decision-making, as we continue to deal with the fallout of the pandemic.
Meet our charity partners
We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the following community and charitable organisations. They are helping us to hear the “hidden” stories of more vulnerable, marginalised, or digitally excluded members of our community. By participating in the Lothian Diary project, you can support the incredible work that these organisations do. All you have to do is pick one of our charity partners when prompted during the survey. You’ll still receive your £15 payment, and we’ll also pay an extra £5 to the charity you choose (although you can of course choose to donate your full £15 payment)!
To find out more about each charity, and to see how much your donations have raised for them so far, click on their name in the list below!
People First (Scotland) are the National Disabled People’s Organisation of adults with a Learning Disability in Scotland.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Redwoods Caring Foundation supports people with learning disabilities throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Streetwork supports people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Carr Gomm is a leading Scottish social care and community development charity supporting about 2000 people across Scotland to live safe and fulfilling lives.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Thistle Foundation is an Edinburgh-based charity supporting people with long term health conditions and disabilities to live life on their terms.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
The Edinburgh Society of Model Engineers is an organisation that aims to to educate people about, and encourage and develop people’s skills in the art of engineering, through the construction of miniature, small scale and experimental prototype machines.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
LinkLiving is a Scottish charity that helps vulnerable people, with a focus on young people, to recover from the negative impacts of trauma and disadvantage. They provide support for mental health, homelessness prevention, independent living.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network work with local individuals and families within their communities to reduce poverty.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Super Power Agency is a charity that provides support to disadvantaged or under-resourced young people, particularly through the provision of creative writing and educational programmes, and mentoring schemes.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
Dr Bell’s Family Centre is a centre, based in Leith, providing a welcoming environment, and support services, to families with young children in the local area.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):
The Welcoming Association is a charity that welcomes and supports New Scots, including migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers.
Amount raised (updated 20th July 2021):