Grassmarket Mission

We are a charitable Trust whose main mission is to address problems of social exclusion as a consequence of poverty, hunger, loneliness and homelessness as well as ministering to those who have, or have had, problems with substance abuse.

Our principal aims are the relief of those in need, the advancement of the Christian religion and promotion of religious harmony on an un-denominational basis and the advancement of citizenship and community development.

To achieve this we are able to offer advice and grant assistance to organisations that meet these principles, primarily within the local community.

Grassmarket Community Project...

For the Grassmarket Community Project, our partner organisation, who run the Grassmarket building, carry out outreach work and offer volunteering opportunities, please contact 0131 225 3626 or email info@grassmarketcommunityproject.co.uk.

The Grassmarket Community Project evolved as a result of a partnership between the Grassmarket Mission and Greyfriars Community Project which was a community outreach program of Greyfriars Kirk. The project is about supporting people through transitions in their lives and about re-connecting disengaged people, giving them a hand-up rather than just a hand-out.

Grassmarket Community Project offers a mixture of education programs, drop-in services, social enterprise and social integration activities. Currently these are delivered through cookery, gardening, woodwork (through the GROW initiative), art, music and textiles programs. Free meals are served to participants in the project as well as those in need.

The Grassmarket Mission provides financial support to the project and has agreed to do so until it is able to establish the revenue streams it needs to support itself.

As part of our ongoing commitment to them the Grassmarket Mission have made a substantial contribution toward the funding for construction of the Greyfriars Kirkhouse Extension which will continue to house the project and expand the number and range of community projects and services that can be offered.

The Kirk House Extension...

The Greyfriars Kirk House, situated at the foot of Candlemaker Row, is home to the Grassmarket Community Project and is leased from Greyfriars Kirk.

At the beginning of 2004 and working with Gareth Hoskins Architects, plans were developed to purchase and demolish three derelict industrial buildings on the site adjacent to the Kirk House and develop the space. The Grassmarket Mission contributed to the funding for the £1.4m project and on March 15th 2011 the contractors moved in and work started on clearing the site. After an archaeological inspection of the site the build proper began on 27th February 2012. The building work was completed and handed over in March 2013 and was officially opened by John Swinney MSP in April that year.

The extension, which includes a community hall, cookery facilities and classrooms will allow the Grassmarket Community Project to continue its work and develop the services it provides with the hall and classrooms expected to provide a vital source of revenue.

In 2014, the new building won the Scottish Civic Trust My Place Award and was nominated for the RIAS Award and the Scottish Design Awards.