Art Walk Weekends: Shift and Flow
Join Art Walk Projects for Art Walk Weekends, celebrating Portobello’s creative community through a town-wide exhibition across artists’ homes, shops, studios and community spaces.
This year’s programme, Shift and Flow, brings together 70 artists across 53 locations and six walking routes. Artists explore ideas of transiency, flux and fluidity, from changing intertidal environments to personal responses to nature’s ebb and flow.
You can explore the routes independently throughout the weekend or sign up for one of the guided walks. The programme also includes new work from awarded artists Minnie Scott and Sally Price, alongside the community-led Cressida Trail.
📍 Various locations across Portobello
🗓️ Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th & Saturday 12th – Sunday 13th September
🕙 10am–6pm
🎟️ Free to explore
Help Shape Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan
Join an early conversation to help shape Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan and share what matters to you, your organisation and the communities you work with.
The City of Edinburgh Council is beginning work on Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan and wants to hear about the issues, priorities and opportunities around food that matter to people and communities across the city.
These online sessions are an opportunity to:
Learn more about the Good Food Nation
Share priorities and opportunities for Edinburgh’s plan
Connect with others and hear about food-related work happening across the city
The sessions are relevant to a wide range of community organisations, groups and sectors, including those providing support and services within communities. No prior knowledge is necessary.
Choose from one of two online sessions:
Thursday 17th September | 10–11:30am | Online
Monday 21st September | 10–11:30am | Online
The sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams, with joining instructions sent ahead of the event. Booking required.
Northfield & Willowbrae Community Environment Fair
Come along to the Community Environment Fair 2026 at Northfield Community Centre for an afternoon celebrating local initiatives, sustainability and environmental awareness.
The fair will bring together local community groups and organisations to showcase the work happening across the area. It’s a chance to meet local organisations, discover community projects, learn more about environmental action and find new ways to get involved.
Whether you’re already involved in local environmental initiatives or simply curious about what’s happening in your community, everyone is welcome to come along, explore the stalls and connect with others.
Saturday 19 September | 12–4pm | Northfield Community Centre
Help Shape Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan
Join an early conversation to help shape Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan and share what matters to you, your organisation and the communities you work with.
The City of Edinburgh Council is beginning work on Edinburgh’s Good Food Nation Plan and wants to hear about the issues, priorities and opportunities around food that matter to people and communities across the city.
These online sessions are an opportunity to:
Learn more about the Good Food Nation
Share priorities and opportunities for Edinburgh’s plan
Connect with others and hear about food-related work happening across the city
The sessions are relevant to a wide range of community organisations, groups and sectors, including those providing support and services within communities. No prior knowledge is necessary.
Choose from one of two online sessions:
Thursday 17th September | 10–11:30am | Online
Monday 21st September | 10–11:30am | Online
The sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams, with joining instructions sent ahead of the event. Booking required.
Artist as Advocate: Sandra George – Start from the Level
Join Artist as Advocate, ECCAN’s Arts and Culture sub-group, for a visit to Sandra George’s Start from the Levelexhibition at City Art Centre, followed by a relaxed conversation over a cuppa.
Artist as Advocate’s monthly meet-ups offer artists and creatives a chance to experience culture together, connect with peers and create space for conversation and reflection. The first hour is spent enjoying a cultural experience, followed by an informal chat together.
For September, the group will explore Start from the Level, an exhibition celebrating the work of photographer Sandra George, who spent more than 30 years working with communities and documenting social-action projects across Edinburgh.
Created in partnership with Craigmillar Now, the exhibition brings together more than 200 photographs from George’s archive, offering a distinctive social history of Edinburgh and the communities she worked alongside.
The exhibition is normally ticketed, but free entry will be provided for Artist as Advocate attendees.
Whether you’ve joined the group before or are coming for the first time, you’re very welcome.
Tuesday 22 September | 10am–12pm | City Art Centre | Free
Dr Bike: Free Bike Repairs
Does your bike need a repair or service? Wester Hailes Walk, Pedal and Thrive 2026 is offering a free Dr Bike repair session at Gate 55.
Bring your bike along for support with repairs and servicing to help keep it running smoothly and get you back on the road.
Booking is essential.
📍 Gate 55, 55 Sighthill Road, Edinburgh EH11 4PB
🗓️ Friday 25 September
🕥 10:30am–3:30pm
🎟️ Free | Booking essential
Plant Allies Immersion: Mint
Spend an afternoon at Lauriston Farm exploring mint as a plant ally through herbal medicine, nature connection and practical remedy making.
Led by Grass Roots Remedies, the three-hour session includes time connecting with the farm and the plant, sensory tea tasting, drawing and reflection, and making a herbal remedy to take home.
The session is part of the Plant Allies: 13 Moons programme, which follows a different herb through each moon cycle.
📍 Lauriston Farm, Lauriston Farm Road, Edinburgh EH4 5EX
🗓️ Friday 25 September
🕝 2:30–5:30pm
🎟️ £25
Bridgend Farmhouse: Doors Open Days 2026
Explore Bridgend Farmhouse as part of Doors Open Days 2026, with a free day of tours, workshops, stalls, activities, food and more.
Discover the story of this community-owned and run centre in south Edinburgh, with tours of the site and talks exploring the history of the farmhouse.
There’ll be plenty to get involved with throughout the day, including apple pressing, nature crafts for children and Dr Bike offering free bike repairs, alongside stalls selling homemade jam, apple juice and crafts.
Visitors can also enjoy hot drinks, snacks and freshly made pakora while exploring the farmhouse and finding out more about the community around it.
Saturday 26th September | 11am–3pm | Bridgend Farmhouse, 41 Old Dalkeith Road | Free
No booking required.
Doors Open Days 2026 at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Explore Granton Castle Walled Garden as part of Doors Open Days 2026 and discover how this historic site is being revived as a thriving community garden.
Enjoy guided garden walks exploring its history and restoration, alongside wool dyeing and fungi demonstrationscelebrating the garden’s biodiversity and living traditions.
📍 Granton Castle Walled Garden, 40 Speirs Bruce Way, EH5 1TH
🗓️ 26th & 27th September | 1:30pm – 4pm
🎟️ Free | No booking required
The Neighbouring Orchard: Annual Harvest Event
Join Art Walk Projects and artist Annie Lord to celebrate this year’s harvest from The Neighbouring Orchard – a community orchard made up of 200 apple trees growing across North East Edinburgh and Musselburgh.
Bring along your own or spare apples to press into fresh juice, swap growing tips and take part in an apple tasting session. Bring a bottle too, so you can take part in sharing the harvest.
The Neighbouring Orchard has been growing since 2021, connecting more than 170 people through apple trees planted in gardens and community spaces across the area.
📍 Bellfield, Portobello
🗓️ Saturday 26 September
🕑 2–4pm
Doors Open Days 2026 at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Explore Granton Castle Walled Garden as part of Doors Open Days 2026 and discover how this historic site is being revived as a thriving community garden.
Enjoy guided garden walks exploring its history and restoration, alongside wool dyeing and fungi demonstrationscelebrating the garden’s biodiversity and living traditions.
📍 Granton Castle Walled Garden, 40 Speirs Bruce Way, EH5 1TH
🗓️ 26th & 27th September | 1:30pm – 4pm
🎟️ Free | No booking required
Breaking Well - exploring how to live in a time of collapse
A friendly monthly space to explore how we feel about the breaking down of ecological and societal systems due to the climate/nature crises
Do you have the feeling that things are unraveling, that the natural and human systems that have kept our world (more or less) functioning are increasingly in a process of collapse?
You are not alone!
These monthly gatherings offer a friendly space to safely explore and share your thoughts and feelings, to make connections and hear from others, and to feel part of a community that understands how you feel. Together we can inquire into what it might mean for our lives, communities and work.
More information and booking below.
Speak to Your Politicians: A Political Roundtable with ECCAN & Hope for the Future
Join ECCAN & Hope for the Future for an in-person political roundtable with MPs, MSPs and Councillors, followed by lunch at Greyfriars Charteris Centre.
This session marks the final stage of our work with Hope for the Future, following their Advocacy Workshop at our Autumn Assembly and online power-mapping session.
The roundtable will give you the opportunity to speak directly with elected representatives, ask questions, share experiences and hear different perspectives, putting climate and community advocacy into practice.
We’re pleased to be joined so far by MSP Lorna Slater and MP Christine Jardine, with further elected representatives to be announced.
The event is open to everyone, including those who haven’t attended the previous sessions. An optional online refresher will also be available ahead of the event for anyone who would like to catch up on previous learning.
Spaces are limited – follow the booking link for the full programme, accessibility information and to reserve your place.
Gathering Resistance
Gathering Resistance is a free day of conversation and connection, bringing together people and organisations working across environmental, social and human rights issues.
The gathering will bring together people from charities, community and volunteer groups, campaigns and direct action movements to meet, listen and learn from one another.
Recognising that many different groups are working towards positive change in different ways, the event will explore what communities and movements are collectively facing, how people are responding, and what can be learned by connecting across different areas of work.
The day will be carefully facilitated to create an open and equitable space for conversation, with everyone encouraged to contribute, listen and share their experiences.
Anyone interested in connecting with others working towards environmental and social change is welcome to attend.
Saturday 3rd October | 10am–4pm | Albert Street, Leith | Free
Booking required.
Edinburgh Fungi Festival 2026
Join the Edinburgh University Fungi Society in this inaugural festival dedicated to the celebration of and education on all things fungi. The Edinburgh Fungi Festival brings together science, art, and local knowledge in a fabulous programme suited for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Expect interactive workshops (i.e. mushroom cultivation, fermentation, making mycomaterials), guided walks (led by expert foragers), & varied talks (i.e. fungi in folklore, Scottish mushroom identification, Queer Flora/Fauna/Funga collective performance). The event is free and held in a fully accessible venue. We look forward to myceliating with you and watching the community connections unfold!
Community Energy Scotland 2026 Annual Conference
Join Community Energy Scotland for its 2026 Annual Conference, bringing together community energy groups, industry leaders and organisations from across the sector to explore the future of energy in Scotland.
Under the theme Owning the Future, the conference will share stories and learning from communities working on energy projects across Scotland, alongside discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing the country’s changing energy system.
The day offers an opportunity to learn from community-led approaches, hear different perspectives and connect with people working across the energy sector.
Discounted tickets are available for students, third sector and public sector organisations, while Community Energy Scotland members can receive two free tickets.
Tuesday 6 October | Glasgow | Ticketed event
October Climate Bites at Bridgend Farmhouse
Join us for October Climate Bites, a chance to connect and share around community climate action in Edinburgh, over a free lunch!
Artist as Advocate: Poetry, Place and Creative Practice
Join Artist as Advocate, ECCAN’s Arts and Culture sub-group, for a morning of poetry, conversation and connection at the Scottish Poetry Library.
Artist as Advocate’s monthly meet-ups bring artists and creatives together to share cultural experiences, meet peers and make space for reflection and conversation.
For October’s gathering, the group will explore the Scottish Poetry Library’s collection with poet Samuel Tongue, whose work often resonates with themes shared by the group. His debut collection, Sacrifice Zones, explores questions around landscape, extraction and our relationships with place.
You’re invited to bring along some writing of your own, a piece by someone else that you enjoy, or simply come along to listen, read and take part in the conversation.
New and returning participants are equally welcome.
Monday 26 October | 10:30am–12:30pm | Scottish Poetry Library
Breaking Well - exploring how to live in a time of collapse
A friendly monthly space to explore how we feel about the breaking down of ecological and societal systems due to the climate/nature crises
Do you have the feeling that things are unraveling, that the natural and human systems that have kept our world (more or less) functioning are increasingly in a process of collapse?
You are not alone!
These monthly gatherings offer a friendly space to safely explore and share your thoughts and feelings, to make connections and hear from others, and to feel part of a community that understands how you feel. Together we can inquire into what it might mean for our lives, communities and work.
More information and booking below.
ECCAN Autumn Assembly: Many Communities, One Table
Join us for our Autumn Assembly 2026: Many Communities, One Table – a day of connection, learning and collaboration exploring how food can bring people together across communities, create new routes into community action, and support more sustainable and resilient communities.
Through interactive workshops, facilitated networking, shared conversations and a community lunch, we’ll hear inspiring examples from across Edinburgh and explore how individuals and organisations are using food to build connections and strengthen communities.
Come along to connect, share ideas and learn from others across the ECCAN network.
What to expect
11:00 | Doors open & refreshments
11:15–11:45 | Welcome & keynote speaker
Jason Ran will set the scene for the day, sharing his research on widening participation in Edinburgh and the work communities are already doing across the city.
11:45–12:30 | Facilitated networking
Led by Jess Gildener, with an activity to make connections and share insights from across the network.
12:30–13:45 | Shared community lunch
A relaxed catered lunch and a chance to reconnect, meet new faces and catch up with others in the network.
13:45–15:15 | Workshops & reflections
Interactive workshops followed by a chance to share reflections and consider what we could do next as a network.
15:30–16:00 | Refreshments, town hall & closing
17:00 | People, Planet, Pint
Following the Assembly, People, Planet, Pint will be hosting a relaxed session at a nearby venue – a chance to continue the conversation and get to know each other better over a drink (location TBC).
Workshops
Workshops will focus on food, culture and community, with further information and registration details shared closer to the event.
Who is this for?
The Autumn Assembly is open to all. You don’t need to be an ECCAN member to attend, but we’d love to welcome you to the network – joining is free and only takes a minute.
If you have any dietary or access requirements, please let us know when booking or contact events@eccan.scot and we’ll do our best to support you.
Breaking Well - exploring how to live in a time of collapse
A friendly monthly space to explore how we feel about the breaking down of ecological and societal systems due to the climate/nature crises
Do you have the feeling that things are unraveling, that the natural and human systems that have kept our world (more or less) functioning are increasingly in a process of collapse?
You are not alone!
These monthly gatherings offer a friendly space to safely explore and share your thoughts and feelings, to make connections and hear from others, and to feel part of a community that understands how you feel. Together we can inquire into what it might mean for our lives, communities and work.
More information and booking below.
Artist as Advocate: Walking, Nature and Creative Practice
Join Artist as Advocate, ECCAN’s Arts and Culture sub-group, for a relaxed outdoor gathering in Craigmillar Castle Park exploring nature, place and creative practice.
The group will meet at Bridgend Farmhouse before taking a gentle walk through Craigmillar Castle Park, followed by a conversation about the ways being outdoors and spending time in nature can inform creative work.
This isn’t a facilitated workshop. Instead, it’s an informal opportunity to walk, talk and reflect on your practice with other artists and creatives, including people who have previously made work in response to the area.
Artist as Advocate’s monthly meet-ups offer space for connection, peer support, reflection and inspiration, with relationships and conversations developing organically as the group continues to meet.
The walk will begin and end at Bridgend Farmhouse. New and returning participants are very welcome.
Tuesday 24 November | 10am–12pm | Meet at Bridgend Farmhouse
Quiz on the Croft
Gather your teammates for a night of quizzing at Leith Community Croft, raising funds to support the work of Earth in Common.
The Croft is a community growing space in the heart of Leith, and the quiz is a chance to spend an evening together while supporting Earth in Common’s work.
📍 Leith Community Croft, 4A John’s Place, Leith, EH6 7EL
🗓️ Friday 11 September
🎟️ Fundraising event
Power Station: Free Community Film Screening
Join The Crannie Community Hub for a free community screening of Power Station, an uplifting documentary exploring how people power can create community energy.
The film follows two artists in Walthamstow as they set out to take their street off the grid, kickstarting a solar-powered energy revolution and showing what can happen when communities come together to create change.
The screening will be followed by a talk and workshop with input from Community Energy Scotland, with free refreshments available.
Friday 11th September | 4:00–6:30pm | The Crannie Community Hub | Free
Power Station has a 12A certificate. Follow the booking link to reserve your free ticket.
Make a Planter Bench: Choose L.I.F.E (Leith Improvements For Edinburgh)
Join Edinburgh Tool Library for Choose L.I.F.E., a new programme of free woodworking workshops where you can learn practical skills while making something for Edinburgh’s green spaces.
Funded through ECCAN’s Greenlight programme, thanks to the votes of the Edinburgh public, the sessions are open to anyone in the community. Each Wednesday, Edinburgh Tool Library’s teachers will be on hand at their community workshop to share skills and work together to create useful items that bring joy and value to the city’s green spaces.
It’s an opportunity to learn new woodworking skills, meet others and do something positive for your community at the same time.
The next sessions take place on Wednesday 9th September, with morning and afternoon workshops available. Lunch is included in both sessions.
Wednesday 9th September
Morning: 10:30am–12:30pm
Afternoon: 1:30–3:30pm
Location: Edinburgh Tool Library Community Workshop, 32 Tennant Street
Cost: Free – booking required
September Climate Bites at Gorgie Community Farm
Join us for September Climate Bites, a chance to connect and share around community climate action in Edinburgh, over a free lunch!
Feelings, Family and the Future: Workshop on Schools Supporting Parents and Children
How can schools better support children and families experiencing emotions around climate change?
This half-day workshop brings together parents, educators, researchers and community organisations to explore climate emotions among families in Scotland and Australia, and consider practical ways schools can respond.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and international institutions will share insights into climate anxiety, emotions and family life, followed by an interactive session where participants can contribute ideas and help develop approaches to supporting families and schools.
What to expect
The morning will include:
Presentations from researchers working across climate emotions, education and family life
A catalyst video screening
An exhibition and opportunities to connect over morning tea
An interactive discussion exploring what schools can do to support parents and children
Speakers
The workshop will feature Rebecca Olson (University of Queensland), Jordan McKenzie (University of Wollongong), Roger Patulny (Hong Kong Baptist University), Mary Holmes (University of Edinburgh), Miriam Dillon (University of Queensland) and Ramsey Affifi (University of Edinburgh).
Together, the speakers bring expertise spanning the sociology of emotions, climate anxiety, family relationships, social connection and environmental and sustainability education.
Agenda
9:00am – Arrival and registration
9:15am – Presentations and catalyst video screening
11:00am – Morning tea and exhibition
11:30am – Presentations and interactive discussion
1:15pm – Close
Register
Registration closes 18th August.
For questions about the workshop, contact miriam.dillon@uq.edu.au.
Art Walk Weekends: Shift and Flow
Join Art Walk Projects for Art Walk Weekends, celebrating Portobello’s creative community through a town-wide exhibition across artists’ homes, shops, studios and community spaces.
This year’s programme, Shift and Flow, brings together 70 artists across 53 locations and six walking routes. Artists explore ideas of transiency, flux and fluidity, from changing intertidal environments to personal responses to nature’s ebb and flow.
You can explore the routes independently throughout the weekend or sign up for one of the guided walks. The programme also includes new work from awarded artists Minnie Scott and Sally Price, alongside the community-led Cressida Trail.
📍 Various locations across Portobello
🗓️ Saturday 5–Sunday 6 & Saturday 12–Sunday 13 September
🕙 10am–6pm
🎟️ Free to explore
Drylaw Harvest Festival
Join Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre for a free Harvest Festival, bringing the community together for a day of food, activities and autumn celebrations.
There’ll be plenty to get involved in, including apple juicing using apples grown at Drylaw, garden activities for children, a plant sale, ELREC bike activities, arts and crafts, henna art, face painting, a community drum circle and Spartans football games.
There’ll also be a bouncy castle, Tummies not Trash food stall and a free lunch from the Scran Van, with more activities still to be announced.
Date: Saturday 5th September 2026
Time: 11am–2pm
Location: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, 67B Groathill Road North, Edinburgh, EH4 2SA
Cost: Free
The People’s Emergency Briefing: Community Film Screening
Join Banzai Edinburgh for a community screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute film bringing together nine leading UK scientists and experts to explain the realities of the climate and nature crisis and what needs to happen next.
Hosted by Chris Packham, the film explores issues including extreme weather, food security, health and the cost of living. The screening will be followed by a discussion and reflections on the actions we can take locally, with residents, community groups and elected representatives invited to join the conversation.
Refreshments and home baking will be available, with donations towards food and room hire welcomed. The venue is accessible.
📍 Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, 70 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4JU
🗓️ Friday 4th September | 6:30pm – 8:30pm
🎟️ Free | Booking required
The Spaces in Between
Join Take One Action for an evening of short films, poetry, live music and conversation exploring the relationship between Scotland’s Black and Global Majority communities and the land, and questions of belonging, access and justice.
The evening features three short films followed by a panel discussion, a reading from Sorley MacLean’s An Cuilithionn (The Cuillin) and live music. You can join in person on Skye or via an online livestream.
📍 Summer Quay Brae, Portree, Skye / Online
🗓️ Friday 4th September | 6:30pm – 9pm
🎟️ Pay what you can | £0–£20
ReFashion
Sewing and mending drop-in that starts this Friday. Following-on from our Sustainable Fashion Series from earlier in the year. All equipment is provided, as are teas + cakes!
Feelings, Family and the Future: Workshop on Communities Supporting Parents and Children
Join researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Queensland for a one-day workshop exploring how communities can support parents and children in responding to climate emotions.
Through talks, creative activities and discussion, the workshop will examine research from Australia and Scotland on climate anxiety, family life and emotional wellbeing. Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute ideas for community-based support strategies that help build resilience, hope and collective action.
The event welcomes parents, community organisations, researchers and anyone interested in supporting families to navigate the emotional impacts of the climate crisis. Registration closes on 18th August.
Tram Trains for Edinburgh - re-open the South Sub. Call to Public meeting.
Come and find out about the Tram Trains for Edinburgh proposal, how it will benefit residents of Gorgie, Dalry, Murrayfield, & Stenhouse - and ask your questions.
Free to attend - please sign up using the Eventbrite link below
Read all about the first year of Tram Trains for Edinburgh’s work here.
Gorgie Farm Summer Celebration
Join Gorgie Community Farm as they celebrate their first year of caring for and restoring this much-loved community space.
Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy a relaxed afternoon of family-friendly activities, including live music, games and crafts, tours of the beautifully restored Community Garden and Napier’s Herb Garden, delicious food and drink, and a special visit from the Edinburgh Menagerie petting zoo.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the farm, meet the team and celebrate everything that’s been achieved with the support of volunteers, partners and the local community.
📅 Sunday 30 August
🕐 1:00pm – 6:00pm
📍 Gorgie Community Farm, 51 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh EH11 2LA
Please note: There is no parking on site. Assistance dogs are welcome on leads.
Reserve a spot below.
Climate Café at the Festival of Politics
Drop into the Climate Café at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics for an informal space to meet others, have a chat and explore ideas around climate action.
You don’t need to be a climate expert to take part - the café is open to everyone, offering a relaxed space to share perspectives, make connections and talk about the climate issues that matter to you. The café will be open all day - but you can drop in for as little or as long as you like throughout the day.
From 4.30pm, the organisers of Saturday’s Climate Café at the Edinburgh Fringe will be joining the space, continuing conversations around creativity, culture and how we can work towards a more sustainable Fringe.
If you joined Saturday’s gathering - or are interested in arts, culture, sustainability and the future of the Fringe - this is another opportunity to come along, connect and continue the conversation.
When: Thursday 27 August 2026
Where: Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Cost: Free
More info. on the Festival of Politics can be found here.
Sustainability Challenge Exchange
Bring along a sustainability challenge your organisation is stuck on and leave with a practical next step.
The Sustainability Challenge Exchange is a working breakfast for Edinburgh businesses, hosted by Heriot-Watt University’s Sustainable & Circular Innovation Lab, in partnership with Edinburgh B Corp 500 and Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Business Innovations and Sustainable Solutions, with support from Barclays Eagle Lab at CodeBase.
Whether you’re considering replacing gas heating, looking for opportunities to reduce waste or packaging, or trying to develop a carbon reduction plan without the data or expertise to get started, the session is designed to help you work through what’s holding progress back.
Over breakfast, participants will have the chance to:
Share their sustainability challenge and see what other Edinburgh businesses are working through
Discuss their challenge with a Heriot-Watt or Edinburgh Napier researcher and identify what expertise could help
Explore practical approaches through Innovation Exchange sessions, including circular economy, one-to-one researcher support and making sustainability change stick within a business
Leave with a Sustainability Starter Card, setting out the challenge, the main barrier and a concrete next step
Places are limited to 20 businesses to keep the event focused and practical.
National Meeting: International Resistance to Data Centres
Join Friends of the Earth Scotland and Friends of the Earth Ireland for an online event exploring how communities around the world are organising in response to the rapid growth of large-scale AI data centres.
The expansion of data centres is raising growing concerns around energy and water use, impacts on nature, increased demand for minerals and metals, and the continued use of fossil fuels.
But communities around the world are challenging new developments and sharing alternatives.
This national meeting will hear stories from communities resisting data centres internationally, with opportunities to share strategies, lessons and solidarity and learn from campaigns that are successfully challenging developments.
Speakers include:
Thieva Lingam, Chair of Friends of the Earth International
Rosi Leonard, Friends of the Earth Ireland
Further speakers to be confirmed
Breaking Well - exploring how to live in a time of collapse
A friendly monthly space to explore how we feel about the breaking down of ecological and societal systems due to the climate/nature crises
Do you have the feeling that things are unraveling, that the natural and human systems that have kept our world (more or less) functioning are increasingly in a process of collapse?
You are not alone!
These monthly gatherings offer a friendly space to safely explore and share your thoughts and feelings, to make connections and hear from others, and to feel part of a community that understands how you feel. Together we can inquire into what it might mean for our lives, communities and work.
More information and booking below.
Repair Café and Film Screening - ETL
Join Edinburgh Tool Library’s Leith Community Workshop for an afternoon of repairing, learning and conversation. Repair Café Edinburgh will be on hand to help breathe new life into broken household items, sharing practical skills that help reduce waste and keep useful things in use for longer.
The afternoon will also feature screenings of Can Everything Be Mended?, a poetic short film exploring whether everything can (or should) be repaired, and how repair can be an act of care, creativity and resistance.
Whether you’re bringing something to mend or simply curious to learn more, everyone is welcome.
📍 Leith Community Workshop, Edinburgh Tool Library
Building a Resilient Food System with Mushrooms: A Cultivation Workshop
Join Rhyze Mushrooms Edinburgh at Lauriston Farm for a full-day, hands-on workshop exploring how mushroom cultivation can contribute to more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Learn the basics of indoor and outdoor mushroom growing, including cultivating oyster mushrooms on waste materials, growing fungi outdoors and using worm composting. The day combines practical activities, demonstrations and discussion, with participants taking home their own mushroom grow kit and other resources.
A vegan lunch, tea and coffee are included.
Please note, this is a ticketed event with a sliding scale of cost.
Summer Garden Party - Gracemount Mansion Gardens
Summer Garden Party at Gracemount Mansion Gardens
Join Gracemount Mansion Development Trust, Transition Edinburgh South and Scran Academy for a free Summer Garden Party celebrating community, nature and the joy of spending time outdoors.
Taking place in the beautiful Gracemount Mansion Gardens, this family-friendly event is open to everyone and promises a relaxed afternoon with plenty to enjoy.
Visitors can look forward to:
🍔 Free hot food
🎨 Crafts and family-friendly activities
🎶 Live music and dancing
🌿 Time to relax and enjoy the gardens
Whether you’re a regular visitor or discovering the gardens for the first time, come along, meet your neighbours and enjoy a welcoming community celebration.
Date: Saturday 22nd August 2026
Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Gracemount Mansion Gardens, Top of Gracemount House Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 6FD
Free to attend – no booking required.
Climate Café: Building a More Sustainable Fringe
Join a Climate Café exploring the future of sustainable festival-making, co-hosted with Circus Zambia and bringing together artists, producers, local businesses, climate practitioners and anyone interested in the future of a more sustainable Fringe.
Climate Cafés are informal, welcoming spaces designed to encourage conversation rather than present finished solutions. This event will provide an opportunity to explore how initiatives such as a proposed Directory connecting artists with local businesses, creative services, climate organisations and community partners could develop, identify the practical challenges facing artists, and consider how stronger collaboration across the creative and climate sectors can support a more resilient Fringe.
At the heart of the initiative is the ambition to build the relationships, trust and practical infrastructure that make sustainable festival production easier. By connecting artists with local businesses, creative services, climate organisations and community partners, the project aims to strengthen Edinburgh’s local economy while making sustainable choices more accessible – and easier – from the earliest stages of production.
Whether attending as an artist, venue, supplier, community organisation or simply someone passionate about climate action, everyone is invited to join the conversation.
Building a more sustainable Fringe isn’t something any one organisation can achieve alone. It starts by building the local relationships, shared knowledge and practical infrastructure that enable creative communities to thrive together.
No sign-up is required, with tea, coffee and snacks provided.
Youth Climate Camp Scotland
Looking for a weekend to recharge, meet inspiring people and build your confidence to take action on climate and social justice?
Youth Climate Camp Scotland is a three-day residential bringing together young people from across Scotland to connect, collaborate and learn. Open to anyone aged 18-30, the weekend is designed for both newcomers and experienced activists, with workshops, creative sessions, shared meals, time outdoors and opportunities to build practical organising skills.
By the end of the weekend, you’ll have made new connections, discovered campaigns and opportunities to get involved, and gained the confidence to take action alongside others working for climate and social justice.
Financial support is available to help cover travel and ticket costs, so cost doesn’t have to be a barrier.
📍 Cairngorms
🗓️ 21st - 23rd August
👥 Ages 18-30
The City and the Sea: A Story of Reconnection and Coastal Recovery
Join Oceanographic Magazine for The City and the Sea: A Story of Reconnection and Coastal Recovery, an inspiring evening celebrating Edinburgh’s growing relationship with the sea.
Following Edinburgh becoming the first Scottish council to declare an Ocean Recovery, this special event brings together filmmakers, scientists, conservationists and musicians to explore how communities are helping restore the Firth of Forth and reconnect the city with its coastline. The evening will feature film, photography, live music and conversation with a fantastic line-up of speakers, including wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan, cetacean specialist Dr Andrew Brownlow, Joe Richards from Blue Marine Foundation, and folk musicians and ocean advocates Hanna Fisher and Sorren Maclean. (The City of Edinburgh Council)
Tickets are £5, with every ticket including a complimentary edition of Oceanographic Magazine.
📍 58 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR
Introduction to Campaign Strategy
Want to create change in your community but not sure where to start? Join Friends of the Earth Scotland for this online workshop exploring how to plan, build and win effective local campaigns.
Whether you’re campaigning for better public transport, protecting local green spaces or responding to a development in your area, you’ll learn practical campaign strategy from Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Head of Movement Building, Kate Whitaker, alongside experienced community campaigner John Young. The session includes an interactive workshop followed by a live Q&A.
💻 Online
🗓️ Wednesday 19th August 2026
🕡 6:30pm
Chai, Samosa & Climate Gupshup - NKS
As part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Networking Key Services (NKS) invites you to Chai, Samosa & Climate Gupshup – a welcoming drama exploring climate change through conversation, culture and community.
Blending storytelling with discussion, the event offers a chance to reflect on the climate and nature crisis in an engaging and accessible way, while bringing people together over shared experiences.
Whether you’re passionate about climate action or simply curious to join the conversation, everyone is welcome.
Date: Wednesday 19th August 2026
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: St Oswald’s Centre (Pianodrome), Bruntsfield Community Hub, 41 Montpelier Park, Edinburgh, EH10 4NB
Tickets: £5 per person
Come along to support NKS at the Edinburgh Fringe and be part of an inspiring afternoon where every conversation has the potential to make a difference.
Artist as Advocate: Anne Hardy Exhibition Visit
Join fellow members of the Artist as Advocate network for a visit to the Anne Hardy exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery. The event will provide space for conversation, reflection and networking while engaging with contemporary artistic responses to place, ecology and the environment.
Artist as Advocate is ECCAN’s arts and culture subnetwork, bringing together artists, creatives and cultural practitioners interested in climate action, community engagement and creative advocacy. Join us at one of the upcoming events below or get in touch to be added to the mailing list.
Booking: Contact the network for more information.
Public Meeting: Proposed Hyperscale AI Data Centre at Wester Hermiston
West Edinburgh Against AI Data Centre is holding a public meeting about plans for a proposed hyperscale AI data centre at Wester Hermiston, in the west of Edinburgh.
The proposed development would cover around 30.5 hectares (77 acres) of Green Belt land and include three data halls, with a proposed continuous electricity demand of 200MW.
The campaign group has raised a range of concerns about the plans, including their potential impact on energy and water use, the climate, Green Belt and prime agricultural land, local infrastructure, air quality and surrounding communities.
The meeting is an opportunity for local residents and others interested in the proposals to find out more, hear about the campaign and discuss the potential impacts of the development.
The campaign is calling for the proposal to be refused or for a full Environmental Impact Assessment to be carried out before the planning application is determined.
All are welcome.
Seasonal Workshop at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Join Ochre Botanical Studios at Granton Castle Walled Garden for an informal summer-themed workshop alongside a volunteer gardening session.
Get creative with seasonal flowers from the garden, or get your hands dirty helping with tasks such as weeding, planting, clearing and shifting compost, with the chance to learn more about growing cut flowers along the way.
The session is drop-in with no ticket required. Donations to the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are warmly welcomed.
📍 Granton Castle Walled Garden
🗓️ 16th August | 2pm – 4pm
🎟️ Drop-in | Donations welcome
Becoming Climate Resilient
Build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to lead climate adaptation and strengthen resilience across your organisation in this one-day training course from Verture. Endorsed by the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, the course is designed to help turn climate awareness into meaningful action.
📍 Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, Edinburgh
🗓️ Friday 14th August 2026
🕙 10:00am - 4:00pm
More information and booking below.
Harvesting the Rye - Lauriston Farm
Join Lauriston Farm for a hands-on volunteering session harvesting their Hebridean Rye, an ancient Scottish grain that has been grown for centuries in the Uists. The project helps conserve this traditional Scottish crop while exploring its place in a more resilient and sustainable food system.
Volunteers will help harvest the rye using a variety of methods, from bundling and drying the grain to trying out new harvesting equipment. No previous experience is needed - just bring suitable outdoor clothing and be ready to spend an afternoon working together in the fresh air.
This session is suitable for anyone who is comfortable walking on uneven ground and bending to gather the harvest. Gloves and tools will be provided, and under 16s are welcome when accompanied by an adult.
📍 Lauriston Farm, Edinburgh
🗓️ Saturday 8th August
🕐 10:00am - 12:00pm & 1:00pm - 4:00pm