Garvald Edinburgh

Garvald Edinburgh is a Scottish Charity offering creative opportunities and support for people with learning disabilities. We are inspired by the ideas of the educator and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner and have been operating in Edinburgh since 1969.

We provide creative working environments focusing mainly around craft, catering and artistic skills. Currently we provide opportunities and support for over 200 people.

We achieve very good gradings from the Care Inspectorate.

Our way of working takes inspiration from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner and in particular the principles of Social Therapy.

This approach brings together all the factors that are important for any person in their daily life. A work like environment provides meaning, structure and stability. The physical environment is even more important for people with learning disabilities. Our day facilities are calm and creative spaces and we encourage respect for the natural world around us. This nourishes the senses and and develops a feeling of community and respect that would be otherwise very difficult for our members to experience.

Isolated people become integrated people.

Garvald Edinburgh now supports people across four locations. We are also one of the founding organisations of get2gether Edinburgh, which arranges social activities for people with disabilities in safe and friendly places throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.