Collection: The Good Stories Podcast
Gentrification or regeneration? The Edinburgh social enterprise helping a community navigate transformational investment
Good Stories podcast episode 6: Regeneration and gentrification are often two sides of the same coin. With £1.3bn being pumped into one of Scotland's poorest areas, social enterprise The Granton Project is ensuring that local communities truly benefit.
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In one of the most underserved areas in Scotland a social enterprise is providing opportunities and support for the local community to help it navigate the effects of a £1.3bn regeneration programme, and ensure it doesn't become a classic story of gentrification.
Granton, in the north of Edinburgh, feels a world away from the tourist hotspots and trendy bars of the city centre. According to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, the tool the government uses to chart levels of poverty, Granton is one of the poorest areas of the country.
The Granton Project Community Interest Company occupies a huge site on the Firth of Forth, the body of water which flows to the north of Edinburgh before it joins the North Sea.
At the site you’ll find a steet food market, indoor makers’ market, 700-person event space, kids’ play area and a sauna. There’s even room for a pianodrome, a playable sculpture-come-amphitheatre made from disused pianos, which really has to be seen to be believed.
Adjacent to the market area is a former warehouse, where the Granton Project provides space for local businesses, charities and other organisations. Already making use of the space are a gym, a bike repair shop, a lighting company and more. The Granton Project also provides signposting, support and mentoring to people seeking pathways into business or employment.
Hal Prescott, founder and director of the Granton Project, says: “We’re all about startups, or people who want to take the next step... and then move on to hopefully bigger premises and bigger ambitions.”
Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons as he speaks to the founder of the Granton Project, social investor Firstport and staff from local businesses and charities to find out:
- Why Granton Project founder Hal Prescott's original idea for a street food market turned into a community interest company
- What role the Granton Project played in the development of an Edinburgh-based sauna business
- How the Granton Project has helped local charity Granton Youth double its provision of support for young people and their families in the community
This episode was supported by a partnership with Good Finance.
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