Thistle Foundation and Edinburgh Food Project create support hub in centre of Craigmillar

A new collaboration that will provide more opportunity for personalised support for people in the local community.

Thistle Foundation and Edinburgh Food Project are joining forces in a unique partnership that will ensure people in Craigmillar can reach the support they need as quickly as possible.

From 28th August 2023, Edinburgh Food Project will begin operating from Thistle Foundation’s Centre of Wellbeing complementing the range of wellbeing support already provided by Thistle Foundation. This will take the form of emergency food supplies, employment support and money advice.

The partnership between the two charities will bring support for local people in crisis and those who are living with significant health challenges, into one shared space.

Tommy Sheppard MP who visited the Centre of Wellbeing during the week of the move said of the partnership, “Foodbanks should not exist in what is supposed to be a wealthy country, but they do and without them many people would struggle in food poverty. I commend the compassion and commitment of both charities and staff who have stepped in where the state has failed.

"I am confident that this new partnership between the Thistle Foundation and Edinburgh Food Project, all working together under one roof, will ensure that folk in Craigmillar struggling with the cost-of-living receive the co-ordinated support and advice they need.”

The move marks a step change in the way Edinburgh Food Project provides support through its foodbank, by creating a shop feel where people can choose which items they want and can access fresh fruit and vegetables. The relocation to the Centre of Wellbeing will also provide a space for Edinburgh Food Project’s More Than Food advice partners and Money Advice Service to have more in depth 1-1 conversations with people and to hold workshops and activity groups.

In Scotland approximately two million people (34% of the population) are currently living with a long-term health condition that they say limits their day-to-day activities, and 1 in 4 with mental health conditions. Thistle Foundation is focused on supporting people living with long-term physical and mental health difficulties or who are experiencing challenging life circumstances such as living lives of loneliness and isolation. In the last year the charity has supported 100s of people in the local area through its wellbeing work, gym and local classes and groups including community development project, Connecting Craigmillar, all of which are based in the Centre of Wellbeing.

Thistle Foundation’s Chief Executive, Mark Hoolahan added, “When our building was created our vision was a centre of wellbeing for people in the local Craigmillar community and beyond. Over the last few years, in part owing to the significant impact that the pandemic has had, we have expanded the range of support we offer enabling our teams to reach people across Scotland.

“However, our roots remain firmly in the local community, and we’ve been looking at how we can better use the space we have within the Centre of Wellbeing. The partnership with Edinburgh Food Project is perfect because both of our organisations are so committed to providing support that is all about the person and not just delivering ‘a service’. I’m hugely confident that this partnership will enable us to reach more people locally, who need our support.”

Edinburgh Food Project’s Director, Bethany Biggar, said, “It’s not ok that people need to use foodbanks, but until everyone can afford the essentials Edinburgh Food Project is committed to making sure we provide emergency food for the people who need it in the most dignified way possible. We have been running our Money Advice Service and inviting services to drop-in to our foodbanks successfully for a while now and we know that it works. This move to the Centre of Wellbeing and our partnership with Thistle Foundation represents an exciting step-change; bringing everything together in a Community Hub to support people to find a way out of poverty for good.”  

Edinburgh Food Project’s move into the Centre of Wellbeing will be staggered across August and September. The foodbank will open in the Centre on Tuesday 29th August and will initially run two days per week – Tuesday from 11.30am-2pm and Thursdays from 11.30am-2pm. Edinburgh Food Project’s Money Advice Service, which offers welfare rights, budgeting, and debt advice and the More Than Food programme which brings other advice agencies together will be located at the Centre of Wellbeing from October.