Greenlight Projects 2026-27

The Green Team’s Neurospicy project will provide monthly outdoor sessions for neurodivergent young people aged 14–18 at Bawsinch Nature Reserve. Through sensory activities, outdoor cooking and time spent exploring nature, the project will create a welcoming and supportive space for young people to connect with the natural world, build confidence and develop new skills.

Get involved: Find out more about the programme and opportunities for young people to participate.

Art Buds Collective is working with Starpic to bring young people in Bingham together through outdoor arts and environmental activities. Through after-school sessions exploring natural inks and dyes, eco-printing and fibre arts, Earth Stars will encourage young people to connect with nature, develop creative skills and explore sustainability in their local community.

Students from Teens+, part of Capella, will help improve biodiversity at Jock Tamson’s Gairden through practical habitat creation and nature-based activities. The project will provide opportunities for students with additional support needs to develop skills, connect with nature and contribute to a thriving community growing space.

Remode Collective is helping teenagers and young adults develop practical sewing skills through creative workshops focused on sustainability. Participants will learn how to repair, reuse and upcycle clothing, building confidence and creativity while exploring ways to reduce textile waste and the environmental impact of fashion.

Fresh Start’s Growing Connections project will bring people together through community food growing in North Edinburgh. Through practical activities, the project will help residents develop growing skills, connect with their neighbours and explore more sustainable ways of producing food, while creating opportunities for people to spend time outdoors and contribute to their local community.

Grow2Eat, a collaboration between Leith Walk Police Box and Settlement Projects, is helping more people grow their own food, whether or not they have access to a garden. The project will provide free compost, seeds, growing resources and practical advice, making food growing more accessible and encouraging people to share skills and knowledge.

Get involved: Access free growing resources, learn new skills and discover opportunities to take part in community growing activities around Leith Walk.

Edinburgh Food Project is creating a community garden alongside its Craigmillar foodbank, providing a space for local people to connect with nature, learn growing skills and come together around food. The project will transform an outdoor area into a productive community space, supporting wellbeing, biodiversity and greater access to locally grown food.

Get involved: Find out more about the community garden and opportunities to participate in growing activities.

The Community Foundation for Planetary Healing, working with The Free Company, will offer free workshops exploring food growing and cooking with locally available ingredients. Through practical activities, participants will develop skills and confidence in growing and preparing food, while strengthening their connections with nature and exploring more sustainable approaches to food.

Rhyze Mushrooms is creating an outdoor mushroom forest, using more than 400 logs to demonstrate how shiitake mushrooms can be grown through low-input, sustainable methods. The project will provide opportunities to explore mushroom cultivation, learn about the role of fungi in local food systems and discover alternative approaches to food production.

Starcatchers is bringing babies, young children and families together to explore food, nature and sustainability through creative activities. Participants will take part in growing and food-related experiences, sharing ideas and discoveries to co-create a climate-positive cookbook that celebrates accessible, sustainable approaches to family food.

Gorgie Community Farm is creating more opportunities for people to access and get involved with the farm, building on its community-led restoration. Greenlight funding will support improvements that make the space more accessible and welcoming, helping more people connect with nature, develop practical skills and take part in activities at this much-loved community resource.

Get involved: Explore opportunities to volunteer, learn new skills and take part.

North Edinburgh Arts is bringing local people together to improve biodiversity in its community garden. Through a nine-week programme of practical gardening and nature-based activities, participants will learn about wildlife-friendly planting, develop new skills and help create a greener, more welcoming space for people and nature.

Get involved: Find out about community gardening sessions and opportunities to help improve the garden.

Corstorphine in Bloom is helping improve local green spaces through climate-ready planting that supports biodiversity and helps neighbourhoods adapt to changing environmental conditions. The project will encourage community involvement in caring for local outdoor spaces, supporting pollinators and creating more resilient planting across Corstorphine.

Get involved: Discover opportunities to participate in community planting and help care for local green spaces.

Friends of Meadowfield Park is working with local schools and the wider community to protect and improve biodiversity in the park. Through practical conservation activities and habitat improvements, the project will create better conditions for wildlife while encouraging local people to connect with nature and take an active role in caring for their neighbourhood green space.

Get involved: Find out about opportunities to take part in local conservation and park improvement activities.

Art Walk Projects’ Resilient Seed project will bring people together in Portobello through creative planting workshops and seed walks, exploring the plants growing in our local environment and how they can help us respond to a changing climate. Through practical and creative activities, participants will learn about locally resilient plants, seed saving and biodiversity, while strengthening connections with their neighbourhood and the natural world.

Get involved: Join community seed walks and planting workshops, explore local biodiversity and learn practical skills for growing and saving seeds.

Active Inquiry is using participatory theatre to explore how communities can influence the rules and systems shaping their lives. Working with community groups across Edinburgh, the project will bring people together to share experiences, explore barriers to climate action and develop ideas for change. Through interactive performances and discussion, participants will have opportunities to imagine and shape more just and sustainable futures.

Edinburgh Tool Library’s Choose L.I.F.E. (Leith Improvements For Edinburgh!) project will bring people together through free woodworking workshops, transforming reclaimed materials into useful items for Edinburgh’s green spaces. Participants will develop practical skills, reduce waste and contribute to improving shared community spaces, demonstrating how reuse and collaboration can support local climate action.

Get involved: Join free woodworking workshops, learn practical making skills and help create something for your local community.

Edinburgh Open Workshop is establishing a free Alterations Club to help people learn how to adjust, repair and extend the life of their clothes. Through practical sessions, participants will develop sewing skills, build confidence and explore how repairing and reusing clothing can reduce textile waste and support more sustainable everyday habits.

Get involved: Find out about free alterations sessions and opportunities to learn clothing repair skills.

Jessie Lindsay and Bee Asha, supported by 2050 Climate Group and its Leaders Network, are developing a directory connecting Edinburgh’s festival and cultural sector with more sustainable services and suppliers. The project aims to help creative producers reduce the environmental impact of their work by making sustainable choices more accessible and encouraging greater collaboration across the sector.

Get involved: Do you offer services that could help Fringe productions become more sustainable, or are you looking to make your own show greener? Get involved by contributing to the directory or using it to connect with sustainable suppliers.

Bikes for Refugees will repair and refurbish 100 bicycles for refugees and people seeking asylum in Edinburgh, providing access to sustainable transport alongside greater independence and freedom of movement. The project will help people make everyday journeys, access essential services and connect with their communities, while promoting cycling as an affordable and environmentally friendly way to travel.

Get involved: Find out about opportunities to volunteer, donate bicycles or support the organisation’s work.

CaDi Couriers is expanding access to sustainable delivery services across Edinburgh, demonstrating how cargo bikes can provide a practical alternative to motor vehicles for transporting goods around the city. The project will help more organisations and businesses explore lower-carbon deliveries, reducing transport emissions and supporting cleaner, healthier streets.

Get involved: Does your organisation or business have essential goods that could be delivered by cargo bike? Cadi would love to hear from you.

BANZAI Bikes is expanding its Weekend Wheels Community Hub, creating more opportunities for people to access bicycles and explore sustainable transport. Through community partnerships, shared bikes and practical support, the project will help make cycling more accessible, encouraging people to make everyday journeys without relying on a car.

Get involved: Explore opportunities to access shared bikes, volunteer and take part in community cycling activities.

Edinburgh SOUP brings people together over food to share ideas and support grassroots community projects. Through a series of public events, participants will hear from local initiatives, connect with others and help decide which projects receive small-scale funding, supporting community-led ideas for a fairer, more inclusive and environmentally sustainable Edinburgh.

Get involved: Attend an Edinburgh SOUP event, discover local projects or proposed your own, and help decide which community ideas receive funding.

Edinburgh Community Food is supporting the development of a community-led Food Systems Partnership, bringing organisations together to explore how Edinburgh’s food system can become fairer, more sustainable and resilient. The project will strengthen collaboration, share knowledge and support longer-term planning to address challenges around food access, sustainability and community wellbeing.

Get involved: Support their work by buying delicious, fresh produce! Have a box delivered to your door or choose your own from their shop in Leith on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday mornings.

Edible Estates is developing a community-led approach to climate adaptation, supporting residents to explore how their neighbourhoods can respond to the impacts of a changing climate. Through local engagement and collaborative planning, the project will help communities identify challenges, share knowledge and develop practical ideas for creating more resilient places to live.

Get involved: Find out about opportunities to contribute to community-led climate adaptation and neighbourhood planning.

Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council, Merchiston District Community Council and BANZAI are working with communities across South Central Edinburgh to explore how neighbourhoods can prepare for a changing climate. Through community engagement and collaborative planning, the project will help residents share ideas and shape a more sustainable, resilient future for their local area.

Get involved: Look out for opportunities to contribute your ideas and help shape the future of South Central Edinburgh.