The Union Canal at Fountainbridge is a special place. Redeveloping the land here is a chance to retain valuable wildlife corridors into the city while highlighting the rich cultural history in an attractive area for recreation and leisure.
We formed in 2021 by combining Re-Union Canal Boats (you’ll have seen their big purple boat!) and Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative.
Our community
The defined area of benefit which Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust will work to represent is shown here. If you live, work, or even play in the area then you’re a part of this community and we’d love to hear your thoughts on making Fountainbridge a better place to live, work, do business and visit.
Click on the map to view it full screen.
Keeping it local and different is key! The Trust will be a member led organisation, if you’d like to be involved, please come and join us!
Why a Community Development Trust?
Community Development Trusts are run and led by local people. As well as running events and being champions for local people, they can bid for funding and help local businesses to start up and run, within stated aims to improve the area as a place to live and visit in terms of the economy and environment.
The trust will work with others to create and manage new projects. It will support and strengthen opportunities for economic, environmental and cultural activity that benefit the community, and will promote social inclusion, sustainability and well-being.
There are a lot of fantastic organisations and projects in Fountainbridge. Together we could make a huge difference in our local area.
Having completed a community consultation process in Dec 2020/Jan 2021 an overwhelming amount of positive comments – as well as offers of help – convince us that people in the area would welcome an organisation to support community development in the area.
The areas that people were most keen for us to be involved were:
- Making sure this is not just another faceless development but exploits and benefits from its unique location next to the Union Canal
- Community events such as the Canal Festival, plus developing new ideas for more activities that bring the community together in shared activity
- Ensuring spaces and support for social enterprises, community facilities and local start-ups as well as other activities that will encourage a vibrant local economy
- Environmental actions in green spaces around the area as a whole and extending the reach of FCI’s “Fountainbridge Green Plan”
Our history
In early 2020, the Board of Re-Union began a strategic review of their operations. After consultation with volunteers and stakeholders, we decided to spin off operations in Falkirk into an independent charity. This allowed their Falkirk base to grow and develop to meet emerging local needs.
This new charity in Falkirk is called Go Forth and Clyde and governed by a new local Board of Directors there. Continuing Re-Union’s legacy in Falkirk, it uses the Forth and Clyde canal as a catalyst for the social, economic, and environmental improvement of the lives of local people. To find out more visit goforthandclyde.org.uk.
Focussing on Fountainbridge
Working to make sure Re-Union makes a positive impact on the communities we work with around Edinburgh. We conducted an extensive community consultation on ways to support and strengthen opportunities for economic, environmental and cultural activity in the area.
This consultation with groups and indviduals resulted in the agreement to merge the eastern end of Re-Union with FCI to form the new Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust.
The Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative
Fountainbridge Canalside Initiative have been campaigning and working for a mixed, sustainable neighbourhood to be developed on the old brewery site since 2011.
The vision was for a community that included families and people of all ages; educational, cultural, recreational facilities and small scale local enterprise.