The Grassmarket Community Project’s team invites you to attend our 2016 Fundraising Concert this Saturday 6th of February.

Three top bands/musical acts from Edinburgh will perform, starting from 7.30 pm:

• Home-grown Grassmarket Project talent the Hills have Eyes
• The eclectic sweet sounds of Red Sayles & the Sunsets with fantastic song writing.
• And finally the internationally known Cera Impala and the New Prohibition Band

What the international press says about Cera Impala and the New Prohibitions:

“Graceful, eerie…tragically beautiful, It’s like she’s living with a back woods secret she’s determined to keep.” ~Victory Review (Seattle)

After the live gigs, a DJ set will entertain the crowd until late.

All the artists are performing for free so 100% of the ticket prices will go to charity.

Every guest will be entitled to participate in a draw to win a Free Wedding at the event’s raffle. This amazing Free Wedding prize (being offered from our award winning venue by highly experienced staff) thanks to our sponsors includes up to 60 people sit-down meal, a Ceilidh band, a photographer, a DJ set and 120 people (evening reception/buffet guests). (Other raffle prizes will of course be available and the wedding is fully transferable to friends/family).

Tickets are available online for bargain £10.00 – http://grassmarket.bpt.me  Or, at the door for £15.00 but as a supporter of the project we are allowing you to buy up to 5 tickets at the incredible price of £7.50 – just enter the password ‘supporter’ in the prices section

We all value 3 things in life: somewhere to live, someone to love and something to do. Our members have experienced much of their life without one or two or even all three of these. As you already know, the Grassmarket Community Project takes an innovative approach to creating a community which provides a sanctuary and support to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable in our city. In 2015, we supported more than 350 members thanks to the engagement of over 120 volunteers.  87% of our members describe themselves as having mental health issues and 76% experience social isolation and loneliness daily.

The Grassmarket Community Project offers a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at re-connecting people with themselves, others and society, enhancing their life skills and building their confidence. The activities range from cookery and baking classes to art, drama, IT, reading and writing, sewing and photography to health and fitness classes. We also support over 30 people every week to train and volunteer in our 4 social businesses – teaching skills and building up peoples chance of long term sustainable employment. 80% of our café staff came to us as adults with support needs and are now employed full time at the living wage.

The project also offers a drop-in free meal service, open to anyone in the wider community and a twice weekly food bank.  Last year, over 8,500 free healthy meals were distributed.

These activities are in part financed through our generous donors and mainly through the four social enterprises running inside our venue: “Grassmarket Furniture”, “Grassmarket Tartan”, “Grassmarket Café”, and “Grassmarket Centre”. However, we still need the support from our community to continue helping Edinburgh’s most marginalised and vulnerable ones.

The Grassmarket Community project is described by our members as a lifeline, more like a close family member than a project. We are frequently told by some of our members they do not know where they would be without and at times go as far to say that they would have given up and wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for the kind of community they experience here.

All we ask is you come along on the Saturday 6th February, have a great time and help us change some of the lives of Edinburgh’s most marginalised and vulnerable.