Great News – More Funding Success!
We are on a roll! We were successful with our Adapt & Thrive funding application and we will now be able to make changes so we can adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic and thrive when we come out of the other side. We now feel we will be able to come back bigger and better!
We are tremendously grateful for this funding award as it will allow us to implement changes to help us to move some of our training services and fundraising activities/sales online. This ensures we adapt to current market trends and provide much needed services for our service users and customers.
Our new “blended learning” training model will mean our service users can learn both in our charity shop/training centre and digitally. Our new, digital expert will guide and support our trainees, using a person-centred, tailored approach so that they are confident to use their new I-pads, laptops and new training method, Moodle.
This funding will give us the resources to generate income through online trading, fundraising and recycling platforms and also implement new fundraising ideas within the shop. It will allow us to actively promote our work and enable us to build a bigger network through a new, professional website, digital screen and revamped social media channels.
More Funding Success!
What a wonderful night at the SE100 Awards 2025 in Manchester. I am absolutely delighted to share that All Together Edinburgh was named as one of the UK’s top social enterprises in the Natwest SE top100 list for a second year running and the icing on the cake was winning the Pioneering Leadership award. https://www.pioneerspost.com/news-views/20250716/uks-best-social-enterprise-pioneers-revealed-se100-awards-2025
I would like to say a thank you to my team as this was testament to their commitment and dedication to our mission and vision, and a special thank you to Shelley Bowman, our Business Development/Fundraising Manager for writing an outstanding award application and always being there for me when I need her.
We would also like to dedicate this award to Bill Ewen who was instrumental in the inception and the setting up of All Together Edinburgh. He was there every step of the way, through the challenges and successes. Bill sadly passed away a few weeks ago. He volunteered in the shop for a number of years after his retirement and then joined the board and became Chair. He believed in creating more opportunities for people with learning disabilities and that they should not be marginalised, overlooked, disadvantaged or undervalued. He was our pioneering leader and an inspiration to all of us at All Together Edinburgh.
We would like to give a shoutout to The Edinburgh Remakery (Elaine Brown) who won the Natwest SE100 Climate Pioneer award and Hey Girls, Georgie Nicholson who was a finalist for Social Business Pioneer. Well done and see you soon!
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It was a pleasure to meet so many inspirational people who care about putting social and environmental impact at the core of everything they do, creating innovative initiatives for many marginalised communities.
Thanks to NatWest Social & Community Capital and Pioneers Post for your support.
Great news. We were delighted to hear that we have been successful in our funding application to the CRNS Pockets and Prospects Fund, supported by the Scottish Community Alliance.
This fund will enable us to test and sell recycled electrical goods in our charity shop. This will not only benefit the local community by providing quality, affordable electrical goods but will also help protect the environment as these items will be re-used instead of going to landfill.
This will also help us to offer more training opportunities to our service users who will learn skills in health and safety and recycling.
Funding Success!
We Are Now on Social Media
All Together Edinburgh is now on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Join us on these platforms to stay fully up to date with all our plans. See you there!
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alltogetheredinburgh
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/alltogetheredinburgh
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/EdinburghAll
FUNDING NEWS!
We’re delighted to have received £4,875 from One City Trust to launch our exciting new Boost Bags creative project!
Building on our very successful pilot photography project, our trainees will use their own images to design, create and sell environmentally friendly tote bags, developing creative, digital, retail and teamwork skills along the way.
Positively, the income generated from the sale of bag-for-life Boost Bags will help support our Boost Box initiative, providing essential items to local people experiencing hardship.
A huge thank you to One City Trust for believing in our trainees and helping us turn creativity into opportunity, inclusion and community impact. We were delighted to attend the City Chambers, at Edinburgh Council, on Friday, to formally accept our award.
‘funded by the Travis Perkins Managed Services/City of Edinburgh Council Partnership through the OneCity Trust.’
Skills. Confidence. Creativity. Community.
That’s what being All Together is all about.
A FURTHER £20,000 GRANT FROM BANK OF SCOTLAND FOUNDATION
We are delighted to receive a second £20,000 instalment of a £40,000 two-year grant from Bank of Scotland Foundation. This grant provides vital support towards the salary costs of its CEO who leads ATE’s day-to-day operations, supports staff, trainees and volunteers, develops partnerships and income, and ensures the organisation can continue to respond to the needs of the people it supports.
It helps us concentrate on what really matters: creating opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and autism to build confidence, learn new skills, gain qualifications, make connections and take their next steps to employment opportunities, volunteering and further education.
Receiving the second year of funding also provides valuable continuity and stability at a time when we are facing rising costs and increasing demand for our services.
We’re hugely grateful to Bank of Scotland Foundation for believing in what we do and for recognising the importance of investing in the people and infrastructure that make our work possible.
All Together Nominated..
We are thrilled to be nominated in the Leith Business of the Year category at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Huge congratulations to everyone shortlisted.
We are looking forward to attending the awards ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on February 26th
New volunteers
We were pleased to be joined today by Louise and Jennifer from Lloyds Banking Group to help us with the Vintage and Vinyl Event.
Chamber of Commerce donation
We were delighted to receive a donation of £1500.00 from Leith Chamber of Commerce. The cheque was presented at a recent Leith Chamber Networking Event. This donation will contribute greatly to our continued Training & Development for local people with learning disabilities & autism. Thank you so much. We really appreciate your support.
We are in the Natwest SE top 100 List!
We were absolutely delighted that All Together Edinburgh was named as one of the UK’s top social enterprises on the Natwest SE top100 list. I would like to say thank you to everyone in the All Together team for their hard work, support and dedication over the last year and a special thank you to Shelley Bowman, our Business Development/Fundraising Officer for writing an outstanding award application.
It was an honour to join the awards ceremony with other representatives from the SE100 and finalists in the 6 awards categories and it was a pleasure to meet so many inspirational people who care about putting social and environmental impact at the core of everything they do, creating innovative initiatives for many marginalised communities.
Boost Boxes funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
FUNDING AWARD!
Thanks to National Lottery players for making our project possible.
We're making a huge difference to the lives of isolated people thanks to National Lottery funding. Delighted to announce that we have been awarded £10,000 to continue our "Boost Box" initiative which boosts the well-being of individuals in our local community.
This funding award is designed to support the well-being of people in our local community. Our online appointments allow them to choose items from the comfort of their own home. We also offer appointments in the shop where they can have their own personal shopper. We hope that they will feel like they are shopping in our Leith charity shop, browsing and choosing goods and that these goods will make people a little bit happier. These goods and delivery will be at no cost the individual!
We have lots of mood-boosting goods to choose from (books, cds, dvds, records, record players, cassette players, CD / DVD players, games, jigsaws, clothes, gifts for Christmas and much, much more). These will be delivered in our specially designed All Together Boost Boxes.
Thank you once again to the National Lottery and the National Lottery players for helping us to carry out this important and vital project that will help our community thrive.
Pictured is Kenny who helped prepare the Boost Boxes for delivery.
Leith Gives
We would like to say a thank you to the organisations that helped our trainees during the pandemic, especially over the Winter period when many of them found themselves vulnerable and isolated.
Through the Leith Gives Campaign, The Edinburgh Remakery and People Know How supplied laptops and iPads so they could connect with others and learn remotely. Edinburgh Community Food supplied 3 separate food hampers and they were very nutritious and all gratefully received. They also received wonderful Christmas gifts that really boosted their mental health and made such a difference to their lives.
Co-op and Scotmid also helped to make life brighter as they provided food and vouchers at Christmas.
Thank you for all your support. These acts of kindness really helped our trainees and volunteers get through these difficult times and they have all bounced back and started back at work in the charity shop again.
Graduation Ceremony
The graduation ceremony was attended by over 50 people including the board members, staff, trainees, buddies, volunteers, family/carers and Susan Rae (Green councillor for the Leith Walk ward).
Trainees were presented with their certificates and given a photograph and a gift to remember their time at All Together Edinburgh. See the highlights video below.
New Recycling Task for Trainees
We have a new training task whereby book ISBN numbers are entered into a program which determines suitability for reuse and helps our trainees to learn recycling and digital skills in one go.
This is via Better World Books who specialise in recycled books finding a new home instead of going to landfill.
New Funding Success
We are very pleased to let our trainees, volunteers and supporters know that we received a grant of £5000 from the Baillie Gifford Community Awards administered by Foundation Scotland. We are so grateful for this award as it helps us to fund some of the costs involved in our accredited training programme for trainees and volunteers with additional support needs. Training takes place in our Leith-based charity shop which has been operating for 10 years this month. Thank you so much for helping us to continue our vital work.
E-Learning for All Together Trainees
This years trainees are currently being introduced to our E-Learning portal on Moodle.
Started as a pilot project 2 years ago the E-learning allows our trainees to go online and watch a selection of training videos made by All together staff. These videos show various aspects of the shops work such as how to use the till, how to steam clothes and how to display items.
After watching the videos the trainees then have the opportunity to take short quizzes based on each videos content.
This virtual training is not designed to replace but to supplement and enhance the actual hands-on training the trainees receive in the shop. It will also have the secondary benefit of giving the trainees more experience of using online training services which are fast becoming the norm for learning outside the classroom.
See an example video below which will help trainees learn how to use the till.
New Equipment and Boost Boxes
We purchased a refurbished laptop and iPad from The Edinburgh Remakery so that our trainees and volunteers could learn new digital skills and help them connect with others.
The Edinburgh Remakery is an award-winning environmental social enterprise committed to diverting waste from landfill, providing training in how to reuse, recycle and refurbish and returning recycled items back into useful circulation.
Bank of Scotland (Reach) Funding Award
We would like to say a big thank you to the Bank of Scotland Foundation, who have awarded us £10,000. This will help us develop our project further and meet the needs of our beneficiaries and the local community.
BOOST Boxes are presented to local residents
Much to the delight of their recipients several of our BOOST Boxes arrived with local residents a few days ago. The boxes contained items which had been chosen by their recipients online with the support of staff and were delivered personally by All Together Staff members.
BOOST Boxes are funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
Funding Success
Thank you to the National Lottery players for making our project possible.
We're making a huge difference to the lives of isolated people thanks to National Lottery funding. Delighted to announce that we have been awarded £10,000 to continue our "Boost Box" initiative which boosts the well being of individuals in our local community.
All Together Boosted by Funding Success
We secured a grant totalling £15000 from the Bank of Scotland Foundation funding programme. This is being used as a contribution to staff costs. All Together Edinburgh would like to thank the Bank of Scotland for this award.
Boost Boxes to Bield Housing
It was smiles all round. It's a delight to spread such happiness to the local community thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund.
All Together Trainees undertake video training
Three of our trainees are undertaking a Borders College Skills Accreditation video training course as part of their All Together training programme.
The weekly sessions will allow the trainees to work with an experienced videographer to learn how to plan, film, act and edit videos for social media and to market their employer (in this case the shop) as well as just have fun creating.
Several videos have been made so far which have received much acclaim on All Togethers social media including the one below.