Campaign by Story
Christmas can be a time that might feel lonely and quiet for the people that we support. So, we want to support people at Christmas through our Communities at Christmas initiative which is about more than food and presents; it’s about dignity, togetherness and being seen.
Communities at Christmas is a collaborative initiative involving Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust, Goodies SCIO, Simon Community Scotland, and us - Southside Community Centre Association SCIO.
Christmas Day itself will begin with breakfast and access to showering facilities. Over the course of the day there will be various activities available including arts & crafts, board games, musical entertainment, movie showings and four Christmas dinner servings! And, we would like to give each of our guests their own thoughtful present – such as a pamper or treat pack.
We are fortunate to have various non-financial contributions to our initiative such as people volunteering their time, skills and knowledge, and we have some existing resources that we are contributing such as equipment and materials. We are also exploring grant funding opportunities, but these are often high in demand and may not be able to provide the funding in time.
So we are looking for your help! Public donations can make a big difference to this event and the community we support. That being said we know the lead up to Christmas can be financially challenging time – so please only donate what you can afford.
Every pound raised via justgiving.com is greatly valued and appreciated.
Michael Traill, Chief Executive of Southside Community Centre Association SCIO: Providing a warm, welcoming, inclusive, and safe space this Christmas Day is important to us. This is only possible due to the kindness and compassion of paid staff and volunteers from all the partners involved, for which I extend our grateful thanks.
Got any questions, comments, suggestions, or feedback? Please reach out to us by emailing hello@southsidecommunitycentre.co.uk.
We'll share updates on our website and social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon).
*Donations raised via this just giving campaign will be held by Southside Community Centre Association SCIO as restricted funds ringfenced for Communities at Christmas 2025, and will appear in our published externally audited accounts lodged with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Whilst we expect all donations to be fully utilised, in the unexpected event of donations being unspent they shall be held for use in any Communities at Christmas 2026 event, or should there be no such event the funds will be used for the relief of poverty, addressing loneliness and isolation, and / or supporting those who are homeless at Christmas time 2026.