Community Renewal: Pennywell

Whatever you need we will listen and stick with you for as long as it takes

In this section:

Community Renewal: Pennywell is Community Renewal Trust’s neighbourhood team in Muirhouse and West Pilton established for over fifteen years. We are one of the community anchor organisations in this North Edinburgh area and a key part of the local network R2.

Being a community anchor organisations means that we are here for the long term (15 years so far), to work alongside anyone local. We will listen to you, whoever you are and whatever you want. At minimum we will connect you to someone else but for many people we can provide long term support towards a better life.

We particularly offer in this team on Pennywell Road for local residents:

  • Community Link Workers based in the GP practices supporting people who face poverty, loneliness, housing/benefit issues or other non-medical issues that are impacting on their health and mental health. Referrals to this are only possible through a GP and this is funded by the NHS.
  • Employment support and self-employment support. This sometimes includes vocational training (such as CSCS Cards, food hygiene, first aid and SIA licensing), it also can include ESOL classes when there is a new cohort available. This is funded as the Next Step Edinburgh project via Edinburgh Council. We get around 150 people into work every year and hundreds more into training, education, volunteering or making other progress in their lives.
  • Support for community activities and community groups through our community development and casework post. This is funded by the Royal Company of Merchants Edinburgh.
  • Healthy and affordable eating – details of our social enterprise veg shop are below.

Drop in Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm or get in touch with our team:
☎️ 0300 365 0025
admin@communityrenewal.org.uk

Community Renewal: Pennywell, 31 Pennywell Rd, Edinburgh, EH4 4PJ

 

Community Renewal Veg Shop

Do you also remember when Muirhouse had fruit and veg shops – we want to bring that back.
Run by local volunteers, our community veg shop is here to make fresh fruit and vegetables affordable and accessible for everyone in the area. Whether you’re picking up a few essentials or topping up for the week, you’ll always find good food at low cost.
It is for anyone living locally in North Edinburgh – there is no criteria, this is just a new shop. Hopefully it will grow if enough people use it weekly.

We normally make it £1 for each bowl of veg.  Take as many as you want. We are cheaper than a supermarket and just down the road from your home. If you have ideas do tell us (coconuts, chillis, okra, anything!).
We’re not just a veg shop. We’re a space for the local community – somewhere to pop in, have a chat, be listened to, and feel genuinely welcome. No rush, no pressure, just friendly faces and a warm atmosphere.

Open every Wednesday 10am–2pm & every Thursday, 10am–2pm (except Christmas holidays).

Come along, say hello, and be part of it ????

 

Next Step Edinburgh

The team can offer employment support, CSCS training and benefits advice (including Universal Credit and Scottish Child Payment). This is mostly only available for unemployed people but we try to support people facing hardship while in-work too. Whether you want quick support with a CV and preparing for an interview or if you need a lot of support to return to work after a long period of unemployment we will be there for you. This is funded by City of Edinburgh Council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Link Workers

Our Community Link Workers are embedded into the local GP practice. They can link people to the support they need in the local community to make them flourish – this is sometimes called social prescribing. To get a referral you need to speak to Muirhouse GP Practice. If you want more information about community services and activities in our local area you can see a guide here. To understand our organisation’s unique perspective on how Scotland could improve community health and wellbeing around Primary Care please click here for more information. This is funded by NHS Lothian. The privacy policy for this is found here.

 

Support from Caledonia Funeral Aid

Our neighbourhood team can help link local residents up with our city-wide and national programmes tackling funeral poverty by offering community support, affordable cremations and impartial advice on funeral practicalities, funeral costs and the emotional toll of funerals. Caledonia also are able to provide a very small number of volunteer-led counselling sessions or CBT activities when available (please ask).

 

You can keep up with all our latest news on our Facebook page:

Community Renewal Pennywell