Edinburgh’s Royal Yacht Britannia and luxury floating hotel, Fingal, have become the first corporate member of Leith Community Croft in the north east of the capital.

The announcement marks the beginning of an ongoing relationship between Leith Community Croft, Fingal and The Royal Yacht Britannia that will bring wellbeing benefits to the community of Leith, including staff of all the partners involved.

Leith Community Croft is a pioneering urban croft on Edinburgh’s Leith Links run by the charity Earth in Common. The croft enables residents of Leith and surrounding area to grow food collectively, enhancing community cohesion while also providing vital wildlife habitats.

Evie Murray is Founder and CEO of Earth in Common, the charity that runs Leith Community Croft. She says:

“Fingal and Britannia have really got on board with the whole ethos of the organisation.

“The croft is quite a magical place in terms of wellbeing. The land itself offers wellbeing to people. Even just being here helps people feel inspired, friendships form and people feel less lonely. Being at the croft gives people a sense of agency. Local people are able to contribute towards putting food on their tables and nourishing their children. The croft gives people a real sense of joy.”

The corporate membership has a financial element, but the main contribution to Leith Community Croft will be staff from both ships offering their time, resources and skills to the charity, helping with everything from weeding to marketing.

Fingal’s maintenance manager Jay Book marked the beginning of the partnership by designing and building a compost hot box for the croft. Over 200 team members from across the two ships will have the opportunity to volunteer at the croft and spend time in nature to benefit their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Sarah Thomson, The Royal Yacht Britannia’s Visitor Experience and Environmental Manager says:

“It’s an ongoing partnership. Leith Community Croft will come to us with what they need and we’ll see if we can help. We’re hopeful that it might encourage other local businesses to get involved too. The croft is such a wonderful community resource.”

Today’s membership announcement is part of an ongoing commitment to engaging with the community in Leith for the benefit of all.

Charlie Granlese, Fingal’s Guest Experience and Environmental Manager says:

“Having a positive impact on the community of Leith is an absolute must for us as a business. It’s so exciting to be a part of the work at the croft.”

Leith Community Croft currently has around 120 crofters who grow food on the site and many of the members bring children with them. It’s also possible to join as a non-growing member to support the educational work of the charity, and indeed as Fingal and The Royal Yacht Britannia has done, become a corporate member.

Earth in Common has decided to donate 20% of the funds raised through corporate memberships to two food sovereignty projects they support in Northern Malawi.

This October, The Royal Yacht Britannia celebrates 25 years in Edinburgh.

More information on how Fingal and The Royal Yacht Britannia already engage with the Leith community is available online as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Statement https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/media/9639/the-royal-yacht-britannia-trust-corporate-social-responsibility-statement-april-2023.pdf

For more information on Leith Community Croft see www.earth-in-common.org