30th June 2025
Written by Georgina Bowyer, UKSPF Grants Manager, Capital City Partnership
A report highlighting the impact of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in Edinburgh over the first three years of the programme has been published today.
UKSPF was introduced by the UK Government in 2022 for a committed period of three years. Between 2022 and 2025, UKSPF provided £12.3 million to the City of Edinburgh, which was divided across the thematic priorities of Community and Place, People and Skills, Supporting Local Business, and Multiply (a specific initiative to improve adult numeracy).
UKSPF has since been extended for an additional financial year between April 2025 and March 2026. The UK Government’s Spending Review of June 2025 indicates that the fund will then transition to two new programmes focusing on local growth and deprived communities.
Today’s report shares final statistics from the three-year phase, drawn from the UK Government monitoring data, alongside some brief narrative reflections. Edinburgh has also been selected as one of the case studies for the UK-wide evaluation commissioned by UK Government and carried out by Ipsos. The Ipsos evaluation will offer more by way of contextualising the impact of the programme using local data to assess change and including some deep-dive case studies.
In the meantime, this summary report showcases the broad impact of UKSPF in Edinburgh across a wide range of themes, including that 52 neighbourhood improvements have been made and 160 trees planted; 1,371 businesses have received support, and 221 new businesses have been created; and 3,363 people have received support for the purposes of employability, to develop life skills or to obtain welfare advice.
The video summarises the headline outputs and outcomes from across the three-year phase. You can also read the report UKSPF Edinburgh Impact 22-25 - Final here. (PDF, 8 pages).
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Initiated and coordinated by ERSA, Employability Day presents an opportunity for the whole sector to come together and demonstrate the impactful work on individuals and communities.
This year’s theme is Inactivity to Opportunity to Good Work.
Our Employer Relationship Manager, Neil Pedersen, has written about the Joined Up for Business jobs fairs which connect job seekers with recruiting employers in Edinburgh.
Earlier this month, the Joined Up For Business team marked a major milestone by hosting their ninth Community Job Fair, this time at the Carrickvale Community Centre. What started just a year ago as a small local initiative has grown into a powerful citywide movement connecting job seekers with employers—right in the heart of their communities.
The first Community Job Fair took place in June 2023 in Gilmerton, with a simple but powerful idea: bring job opportunities into local neighbourhoods. Feedback from job seekers showed that large city centre events could feel overwhelming or inaccessible. Smaller, community-based fairs offered a friendlier, more familiar space to explore employment options.
In that first year alone, the fairs expanded to Newington, Gorgie, and Muirhouse, drawing in 260 job seekers. The momentum only grew. In the second year, the team took the fairs to Broomhouse, Craigmillar, Leith, and South Edinburgh, welcoming 625 job seekers through the doors.
As the fairs evolved, they became more than just a place to find work. They became a hub for advice, support, and connection. Thanks to strong partnerships with organisations like Community Renewal, Leith Jobcentre, and Space, the fairs began to attract not just employers but also support services.
This led to the development of Job and Advice Fairs, where job seekers could also access guidance on everything from interview preparation to benefits advice. Support services like Smartworks, Citizens Advice Bureau, Thrive, and Home Energy Scotland joined the mix, helping attendees tackle the wider challenges of getting back into work.
Employers from a broad spectrum of industries have been enthusiastic participants. Previous fairs have featured opportunities in:
Feedback from employability providers across Edinburgh has been overwhelmingly positive. They’ve told us that these events are not only practical—they’re confidence-building. Meeting employers face-to-face helps job seekers feel more prepared and more motivated to apply.
Looking ahead to 2025/26, the fairs are taking a more sector-specific approach. The recent event at Carrickvale focused on Healthcare, Social Care, and Childcare—three vital sectors with ongoing demand for skilled and compassionate workers.
As we approach the festive season, plans are underway for a Retail and Hospitality-focused fair, recognising the seasonal hiring opportunities and long-term career pathways in those sectors.
Want to stay in the loop? Keep an eye on our website and follow us on social media for all the latest updates on upcoming events.
Neil Pedersen, Employer Relationship Manager, reflects on Joined Up for Business jobs fairs for Employability Day 2025.
5th June 2025
Written by Jessie Colligan, UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme Administrator
We're delighted to announce the launch of Forever Edinburgh’s new campaign, Stay Different, which is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Stay Different campaign uses visuals, videos, and written content to encourage visitors to stay longer in the city and surrounding areas.
It is designed to encourage visitors to discover the wealth of attractions available at different times of year, and to showcase the opportunities that appeal to a range of different personalities and interests. The grant also supports the development of material to increase the inclusivity of Forever Edinburgh's outreach.
The campaign was launched with a new film and a dedicated microsite bursting with inspiration and fresh ideas celebrating the city’s diverse offerings.
You can watch the videos here and find out more about Stay Different here.
#StayDifferentEdinburgh
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Written by Anja Kirchhof, Senior Associate, Challenges Group
The first phase of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund ran from 2022 – 2025, concluding in March. The UK Government confirmed a continuation year which ensures consistency for the programme until March 2026. One of the funded projects in Edinburgh was Making Work Work, run by the Challenges Group. Making Work Work supports professional women who have taken time out of the labour market, to return to work. In this blog, Challenges Group Senior Associate Anja Kirchhof reflects on the last two years of delivery.
Between April 2023 and December 2024, the Challenges Group supported 96 Edinburgh women through the Making Work Work – for Edinburgh Women programme. The programme consists of a 6–8-week online training programme with a holistic wrap-around service of masterclasses, mentoring, peer support, and curated self-study.
In addition, the team supported 250 women through outreach and signposting, and a further 9 women through the LEAP (Learning, Employability, and Purpose) programme which included a 6-week work placement.
Within the Making Work Work programme suite, the team work with women who have had a career break for any reason. Typically, women take breaks for maternity, childcare, elderly care, health reasons, redundancy or relocation. Through collaboration with UKSPF, CCP and CEC, Making Work Work has been able to support women who are currently on their career break, as well as those who have returned to work beneath their skills, availability or earning potential, who are “underemployed”.
Learnings that have come out of working with this cohort are that women with management experience or aspirations, who are typically well-educated and skilled, face several barriers to employment. They often face bias or discrimination based on motherhood, age, caring responsibilities or their CV gaps. However, these women are highly educated and have rich work and life experiences, often coming from different countries and cultures, and speaking more than one language. They are keen to learn, keen to work and often keen to pursue careers with social or environmental impact.
Participants thrive through the peer-support experience throughout the programme. By using the tools and learning provided, many of them are successful in moving into work or progressing in work to roles more aligned with their skills and values, while also increasing their income.
Helen: “[They] decided I wasn't the right fit for the Account Manager job I interviewed for, instead they wanted to put me forward for the Senior Account Manager role! [...] a fantastic permanent job offer [...], which I've just accepted. [...] Thanks again for everything - I can't believe I'm going back into work with a promotion!”
Poppy: “Poppy: “I got the 32 hour position and have been getting settled into this new position over the last 3 weeks. I really enjoyed the interview experience of which MWW programme gave me notable confidence. I secured set days for myself, which was a win as it is a rota with shifts.“
The Making Work Work programme is receiving further funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for 2025/2026 and is continuing to provide training to women in Edinburgh. The latest cohort began in May. To find out more about the programme, you can visit the Making Work Work website.
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Written by Jessie Colligan, Capital City Partnership, UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme Administrator
Community gardening offers numerous benefits to individuals and local communities, including increased access to fresh and healthy food, improved health and wellbeing, enhanced biodiversity, reduced carbon emissions, decreased food waste, and strengthened local economies.
This National Gardening Week, we’re celebrating the community gardening projects continuing to deliver work in Edinburgh through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Edible Estates
Growing Together is a collaborative project run by Edible Estates aimed at developing and supporting community gardening and food growing across Edinburgh. It is supported by UKSPF and through the City of Edinburgh Council’s community gardening framework.
Growing Together supports neighbourhoods and local organisations to set up new community gardens, improve existing gardens, and get more people involved. Working with local people, they build and repair community garden spaces, assist with planting and gardening, and help to create sustainable community organisations that provide spaces and activities that positively impact the wider community. The impact of the work includes enhancing individual health and wellbeing, bringing neighbourhoods together, and creating more beautiful and biodiverse spaces to enjoy.
The nine neighbourhood gardens that have been supported by UKSPF funding are:
Neighbourhood gardens are built primarily by residents volunteering at workshops led by community gardeners.
Fresh Start
UKSPF supports several areas of Fresh Start's work, including their growing spaces. Fresh Start has four community gardens in Edinburgh at Inchgarvie Court, Craigmillar, Lauriston Farm, and Ferry Road Drive.
One participant said “I love being at the garden. It has boosted my confidence and taught me to be more comfortable in a group. Adrienne’s leadership is amazing and I feel totally safe in the space”.
Another participant said “I've met some lovely people, learnt new skills and felt part of a team. The group is led by the wonderful Adrienne, who makes everyone feel welcome and comfortable. She directs us towards tasks needing done but happily takes on suggestions from us too resulting in a supportive, collaborative dynamic. Tea break is always a highlight - often with stories and laughter - but it's also a time when folk from different walks of life can come together, drink tea, chat or sit quietly, and enjoy the company of each other.”
Empty Kitchens Full Hearts
Empty Kitchens Full Hearts has an existing core service delivery of turning surplus food into meals that are delivered to those in need across Edinburgh. UKSPF funding supports a volunteer coordinator who has overarching responsibility for the recruitment and coordination of volunteers across all areas of the organisation.
Volunteers grow fruit and vegetables which the team use in meal packs and offer to people to take away with them after the community lunch on Fridays. Volunteers have also been planting flowers in the beds in the garden and around the front of the building, which has brightened the place up and makes the garden welcoming. Due to the improvements within the garden, the project has hosted various events such a community BBQs and community lunches in the garden for volunteers and local service users to enjoy the space together.
You can find out more about the work supported by UKSPF in Edinburgh using the links below:
To read more about Edible Estates here.
To read more about Fresh Start here.
To read more about Empty Kitchens Full Hearts here.
You can also find out more about National Gardening Week 2025 here.
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Through our work with the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal's Intensive Family Support Service at Capital City Partnership, we have spent the past year collaborating with families and organisations across the region to address a challenge that often goes unnoticed: poverty-related stigma. This issue goes beyond material deprivation, deeply affecting people's dignity, self-esteem, and how those in poverty are viewed and treated in society.
As Ruth Lister, Professor Emerita of Social Policy, put it:
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"Poverty is not just about a lack of resources, it is also about shame and stigma, the daily humiliations that people experience."
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Parents and young people shared that poverty-related stigma is experienced daily within their communities. Harmful stereotypes, judgmental attitudes, and discriminatory practices affect how people access support, contributing to their isolation and marginalisation.
Change the Story: Co-Designed by Families
To tackle the issue of poverty-related stigma, we developed Change the Story through a co-design process that actively involved families affected. Over 30 families, including parents and young people, shared their personal experiences of stigma. These experiences shaped the Commitment, ensuring that its principles of dignity, equality, and inclusivity are grounded in reality.
We collaboratively developed a set of actionable principles and guidelines to help organisations fully understand the scope of the issue and take proactive steps towards mitigating stigma. Signing the Change the Story Commitment shows dedication to addressing and reducing the stigma associated with poverty that many people experience, particularly those who rely on support services. It is designed for anyone working to support individuals and families, including practitioners, project staff, community, and statutory organisations.
Fife’s Stigma Toolkit
Change the Story was inspired by the experiences of families in Fife, Scotland, working with the Making it Work for Families Project to create a practical Stigma Toolkit. Developed in partnership with The Poverty Alliance, the toolkit offers concrete tools and strategies to combat stigma and enhance support practices. This resource is being rolled out across Scotland alongside the Commitment, providing tools for organisations to address stigma at its roots.
Why Stigma Matters
Stigma can involve negative assumptions, prejudice, and discrimination. Stigma is often rooted in moral judgements about what is wrongly assumed to be a choice. It can lead to discrimination, marginalisation, and the unjust treatment of individuals based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality, health, or wealth.
For many people, the shame and embarrassment tied to being poor is as damaging as the financial hardship itself. The emotional toll can erode self-esteem and prevent people from seeking help.
Addressing stigma is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and ensuring that every individual feels valued and respected, regardless of their circumstances.
Stigma isn’t just an individual problem - it's systemic. That’s why Change the Story calls on services and organisations to examine their practices, question unconscious biases, and commit to creating environments where people in poverty can access support without fear of judgement.
What’s Next?
We encourage everyone - individuals, community groups, and organisations - to reflect on how they can help eliminate stigma.
We’re excited to announce that Change the Story and its accompanying resources will be launched soon. This framework will empower individuals, community organisations, and service providers to work together in creating a stigma-free Scotland.
By embracing the Commitment and utilising resources like the Stigma Toolkit, we can collectively foster a more just and compassionate society.
A further update on Change the Story will be shared with the LEP and Joined Up for Jobs networks once the campaign is finalised and accessible online.
Written by Georgina Bowyer, UKSPF Grants Manager
Marking a significant milestone in the UKSPF programme, we were delighted to see the completion of the new youth work and education building at Spartans Community Foundation recently.
The Foundation is the charitable arm of Spartans Football Club, co-located on the same site, where professional sports facilities are found in amongst the communities of north Edinburgh. There is something intrinsically uplifting in arriving at the site, often with the buzz of the second league team practicing on the main pitch whilst youth and children’s clubs take place alongside on the other pitches. The Foundation visibly stands on the principle that the children and young people of north Edinburgh deserve the best and are invited to achieve and succeed.
The new space is built on these same values. The design was developed in partnership with young people who use the building, alongside mapping of how they used the previous space and acknowledgement of the things they loved about it. Beforehand the work was housed in an ageing and second hand portacabin – however it had warmth, familiarity and fostered a sense of belonging through features such as the artwork on the walls which the young people were fond of. The new space brings with it excellent flexibility, with sliding doors that can be pulled across to divide a large space, and a roomy well-resourced kitchen complete with a moveable island and an optional service hatch for when the kitchen is used in a café format. There is also outside covered space and an outdoor sink, ensuring young people can be out in the fresh air all year round and providing facilities for large scale artwork. Additionally, there are two dedicated sensory rooms providing a quiet refuge when required.
The new building has been a success story for partnership working, with private and public investment contributing funds, including that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has played a part. Community wealth building principles were considered throughout the project. The building contractor employed is a local firm that has been hugely supportive of the Foundation since its inception, and they have provided work experience opportunities for young people on the site. The project is a testament to what can be done when people and organisations work together, and in the case of Spartans, their local, long-term and embedded approach is a large part of what corrals these different parties together.
Going forward the building will host not only a range of various youth groups across the week, but also the alternative school, where the innovative and creative approaches to teaching are engaging children who otherwise would likely miss out on an education. We hope that the building will be a powerful asset for many years to come, and alongside the remarkable passion and dedication of the staff, foster hope and ambition in the children and young people that come through its doors.
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Written by Georgina Bowyer, UKSPF Grants Manager
Business Gateway Edinburgh offers support to new and existing businesses in Edinburgh and is delivered on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council. Business Gateway receives additional funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support work that aims to increase the number of high-value start-up businesses; increase start-up numbers from previously underrepresented groups; and support first-time exporters to enter new markets.
One element of this work is the Women in Business (WIB) Growth programme, which is particularly relevant to note in the context of International Women’s Day earlier this month. Government figures show that only 18% of small and medium enterprises in the UK are run by women (see more information here). Reports cite a range of factors including a lack of funding, bias against women and caring responsibilities. The WIB programme provides the support and encouragement women need to get their business growth ambitions running effectively. It enables more female entrepreneurs to maximise the potential of their existing businesses and formulate strategies for development and growth.
The main aims of WIB Growth are:
One recent success at Business Gateway has been the partnership work undertaken with other UKSPF-funded projects. Business Gateway and Networking Key Services (NKS) have worked together to deliver business support for South Asian groups, with one client joining the Women in Business Spark and Scale programme, where she is working to expand her home baking business.
To find out more about Business Gateway, you can visit the website here: Business Gateway Edinburgh website.
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Written by Anne Hay, Employability Project Co-ordinator, Works 4 Women
Established in 2017, Works 4 Women (W4W) is partnership between Edinburgh Women’s Aid and Shakti Women’s Aid. The service helps women survivors of domestic abuse to build their confidence to return to education, training or employment. It currently employs two full-time and one part-time member of staff.
The programme supports adult women aged between 18 - 70 years. Regular group sessions are delivered alongside person-centred one-to-one support which focuses on the individual needs of each woman. Clients are guided to set healthy personal boundaries and identify their skills. Women are supported to set achievable goals to help them take control of their future plans.
Towards the end of last year, sixteen participants took part in a very successful Works 4 Women employability course called “Work for your Future”. The course covered CV writing, interview preparation and practice. Participants took part in a mock interview held in partnership with FUSE Edinburgh, an organisation which handles recruitment for businesses in the St James Quarter and surrounding area. Working with other support organisations raises awareness of the specific needs of these clients and allows workers to tailor support to the individual requirements of each woman.
Since completing the course, seven women have now started work, one has taken up a volunteering opportunity and one is starting a college course soon. All women who attended regularly felt that their confidence grew. This led to improved mental and physical health and some women also commented that they felt like a strong role model to their children.
Other group sessions cover a range of topics including developing IT skills, personal finance and photography. Clients were also offered one-to-one support to help them identify skills, search for and apply for jobs and courses, dependant on personal requirements. Many require support to improve their digital skills or English language, when English is not their first language. Due to high demand and limited provision of English language (ESOL) classes in Edinburgh, many women experience several months wait before securing a place in a class.
One participant is a recent health care graduate and was already volunteering in a social care role when she joined the programme. She attended the Work for your Future group sessions and received one-to-one support over a four-month period. W4W was also able to provide her with a laptop to help with job searching. Within three months, she secured paid work as a school support assistant. She is also a successful recipient of the Ruth Hayman Trust, who will pay for her professional registration with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC). Once registered, she intends to apply for work as a radiographer within the NHS. Her self-confidence has grown immensely, and she is moving towards full financial independence.
The team is currently running two-weekly confidence building group sessions for women. Plans are in place to run six-week employability programme in spring 2025. This programme will be running for the third time, in partnership with State Street, an American bank based in Edinburgh. Last year this was highly successful with 81% of participants securing work or study within six months. Staff will also continue to support women to prepare for work and apply for college and training courses throughout the year.
Whilst we hope that organisations like Women’s Aid and Shakti Women’s Aid will not need to exist in future, for now there continues to be a high demand for our services. We are encouraged that W4W plays a crucial role in supporting women to not only recover from the trauma they have faced but to build a future for themselves and their families.
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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Written by Lauren Ridgley, Project Manager Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
“We believe net zero is not just a journey from which to learn from, but a mandatory one that we must venture down to ensure we maintain the value chain we have created. This affects every aspect of our operation, be that the lives of the staff we employ, the suppliers we source resources from, or the countries we liaise with to create products and services. All aspects are considered and net zero is the guide in preserving them.”
Fraser Walker, Sustainability Executive, Muckle Brig (pictured in the image above)
Edinburgh based drinks company, Muckle Brig, is leading the way in working towards net zero and sustainability with the support of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Net Zero project.
Who is Muckle Brig?
Muckle Brig, based in Leith, is the umbrella company behind Port of Leith Whisky Distillery, Lind and Lime Gin Distillery and The Leith Export Company. It is a wine and spirits purveyor, with a team of 75 across production, hospitality, sales and visitor experience.
Muckle Brig and Sustainability
Although Muckle Brig are at the start of their net zero journey, sustainability and climate action is at the core of the business. Fraser Walker, Sustainability Executive said: “We are engaged in climate change because we need to be. If we are to meet our sector target of Net Zero by 2040, or the UK target of Net Zero by 2050 then now is the time to act. The responsibility of the land we use, ingredients we source, people we staff and place we reside in are our own – maintaining them is part of our company culture.”
Before joining the Net Zero Edinburgh cohort, Muckle Brig had already done significant work to start collating data to calculate their carbon emissions. They also had a focus on their operational carbon footprint and ensuring a sustainable supply chain. For example, their Lind and Lime Gin is 100% organic and plastic free, and the gin still uses 100% green electricity. The whisky distillery uses locally sourced barley, less than 15 miles from the production site. Muckle Brig also support their visitors to make sustainable choices, encouraging them to take public transport with excellent bus, tram, walking and cycling links to their venues, which is showcased through their marketing materials on their website and advertising on Edinburgh Trams.
Engaging with the Net Zero Edinburgh project
To accelerate their progress, Muckle Brig joined a Net Zero cohort which provides businesses with tailored support to calculate their carbon footprint and to write a carbon reduction plan. The cohort is part of the Net Zero Edinburgh project run by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Fraser Walker stated: “We wouldn’t be where we are in our journey if it wasn’t for the Net Zero Edinburgh cohort.”
Over the next few months, the company will be focussing on creating a carbon report and strategy for the next year, aiming to publish this in 2025 which will help them strive towards their net zero target which is in line with the Scottish Whisky Association SBT of 2040. Muckle Brig have also engaged with other initiatives which highlight their commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. Last year they became B Corp certified and earlier this year Lind and Lime was awarded the Green Tourism Gold Award. Both initiatives highlight the company’s commitment not only to their net zero journey, but also to the local community, to their employees, and to sustainable tourism practices.
The Net Zero Edinburgh project, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, aims to support Edinburgh’s SMEs on their net zero journey as well as backing innovative decarbonisation projects in the city. For further information about the project and the support available please get in touch with the team at pr******@*****************co.uk
Want to know more about UKSPF funded Edinburgh projects? Visit our UKSPF webpage.
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