South Bridge Resource Centre

South Bridge Resource Centre building was a former primary school dating back to 1886, and is now a community learning and development centre. It is situated in the heartSouth Bridge Resource Centre, in the heart of Edinburgh, is a City of Edinburgh Council building and the base for the City Centre Community Learning and Development (CLD) team.

It has been a hub for CLD activity for many years, attracting people from both the local community and from across the city to youth work and adult education provision.

The Centre was formerly South Bridge School and is a Grade B listed building. It dates from 1885 and was designed in the Gothic style by Edinburgh School Board architect Robert Wilson, who was responsible for a number of schools and other buildings in the city, e.g. Dalry and Sciennes Primary Schools.

As a thriving city centre resource, it is used by a huge number of people each year (in a busy week we can have 1700 people coming through the doors), to take part in CLD classes and other community activities.

Staff responsible for a range of provision are based in the building. This includes the city-wide Adult Education Programme (AEP), the Number Shop (adult numeracy), adult literacies, English for Speakers of Other Languages, the Totally Sound Youth Music Project; South Bridge Scribblers creative writing group, the HOT (Hands On Technology) Group and the Outlook Project, which runs adult education activities for users of mental health services.

In addition to CLD staff and activities, the building accommodates Canongate Youth.

The building is also used as a venue for training courses, community groups and other partners’ meetings and classes run by other organisations.

In August 2015, we are welcoming Greenside Venues who will be running a programme of Fringe performances here.

The building’s three floors accommodate a number of classrooms/group rooms including three computer suites, a large hall with adjoining kitchen and an excellent, well-used pottery with 2 kilns, which is used for AEP tutored classes and also by the Pottery Users Group, a voluntary group whose 75 members are graduates of CLD pottery classes. of the city centre making it a popular adult learning venue for both locals and those living outside the city centre.

It is the location for a programme of adult education classes, open to all – both during the day and in the evening. Classes on offer include, creative writing, tai chi, pottery, art, dressmaking, local history, dance, languages and computing. There are also free courses to help you improve your everyday reading, writing, numbers and communication skills. You can work on things that you want to learn at your own pace in a small, friendly group.

In addition to the above there are lipreading groups for hard of hearing people to help them cope better with hearing loss. Groups are free and meet weekly for two hours.

The Centre also offer accommodation for other community groups.