Welcome to the Space @ The Broomhouse Hub newsletter!
It’s been busy in South West Edinburgh, where we’ve been learning, playing, bowling, exploring, cooking, creating, and having fun. Catch up with us in this edition of our newsletter, featuring winter at Space, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and more.
Chilling With Our Snowmies
☃️ Strike a Froze
Take a break from spring cleaning and a look back at winter with Space:
The Beacon Club members are hoping to prevent April showers with umbrella art
(January)
Coorie Food put a pizza their heart into Valentine’s Day at Polwarth Tavern
(February)
Coorie Cafe and B Healthy Together teamed up for tasty pancake treats
(February)
Incredible turnout at The Broomhouse Hub Job Fair
(February)
We are proud to house two John Bleed Kits, presented to our community by Lisa Petrie
(February)
PHEW (People’s Health & Emotional Wellbeing) members were on a roll at Fountain Park
(February)
Follow Space @ The Broomhouse Hub on all of our social media platforms (listed below) to keep up with the latest news and see photos from across our programmes.
Festival City Stories
The Edinburgh International Festival has been working closely with Space @ The Broomhouse Hub’s Learning & Development team and international residents to explore how experiencing different cultures connects us.
Participants of the Welcome to the International Festival course developed conversational skills through engaging with creativity, contributing to workshops with International Festival artists, and learning about different jobs involved in welcoming audiences to the annual event. They even helped organise an international community meal featuring dishes from their own cultures.
Those experiences are now featured in the third edition of Festival City Stories, a collaboration between Edinburgh Festivals, BUILDHOLLYWOOD Scotland, and, new for 2025, Mark Kirkham (aka Edinburgh Sketcher).
The project—which previously highlighted our very own Beacon Club—includes imagery and words from Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival, and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Kirkham attended workshops and events from across the festivals’ work with local communities, schools, and organisations, like Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, to capture their projects through a series of artwork, which was transformed into postcards for participants to share their own stories and experiences.
View the the full series of stories and artworks online, or—and we definitely recommend this option—visit the site and explore the artwork in person on Dundee Street (next to Edinburgh Printmakers).
In June 2024, Space became the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival Community Connections Hub. The multi-year partnership explores opportunities for collaboration and connection between the International Festival and our beloved Broomhouse community: From a free virtual reality (VR) experience featuring EIF orchestra-in-residence Philharmonia to behind-the-scenes work experience for WOW! (Wellbeing Onto Work) Project participants.
Dates for the Diary
📅 Mark your calendars
International Women's Day Celebration
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub invites all local women* to join us for a wellness afternoon with Celtic Knots Massage and Wellness Therapies.
📅 Tuesday, 10 March 2026
🕐 1-2:30 p.m.
🏢 The Broomhouse Hub
🗣️ Book your place: shona.thomson@spacescot.org / 07955 277604
*Open to all women in Space’s neighbourhoods
Young Carers Action Day
Wednesday, 11 March
Young Carers Action Day, organised and led by Carers Trust, encourages folks to take action, supporting and raising awareness of young carers.
As caring duties often come before everything else, young carers face an array of challenges across multiple aspects of their lives, including mental and physical health, finances, education, and employment.
Young Carers Action Day provides an opportunity for everyone to call for better support for young carers and young adult carers, and to bring about change.
‘In 2026, together we will highlight the support young carers need to reach their potential,’ according to Carers Trust. ‘From recognition in school and access to training and employment, to meaningful breaks, wellbeing support and opportunities that help them build brighter futures.’
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub runs Young Carers groups four days a week (Monday-Thursday), providing a chance to make new friends and get peer support over a hot dinner—as well as enjoying the chance to just be kids and play.
We understand, however, that group settings are not for everyone. Space also provides one-to-one tailored support—working on an individual basis with each child to make sure they are as confident as possible and getting the help they and their family need.
For slightly older carers, there are residential short-break opportunities, providing respite in the form of weekend trips or days out (especially in the school holidays).
Our patient and dedicated team have years of experience providing support to young carers in schools, as well as a range of advice and information to maintain positive mental health and cope with the increased demands a caring role can bring.
For more information or a confidential chat about your own caring situation, get in touch with our team at youngcarers@spacescot.org.
Easter Closures
The Broomhouse Hub will be closed for four days over the Easter holiday:
- Closing: Thursday, 2 April 2026 @ 4:30 p.m.
- Opening: Tuesday, 7 April 2026 @ 9 a.m.
We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to see you soon!
For information and advice, please contact:
- NHS 24 — 111
- Samaritans — 116 123
- Childline — 0800 1111
- Shout — text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258
- CALM — 0800 58 58 58
Other Important Dates
- 💐 Mother’s Day: Sunday 15th
- Opportunity to reflect on, express gratitude, love for women who shape your life
- Opportunity to reflect on, express gratitude, love for women who shape your life
- ☪️ Eid al-Fitr: Thursday 19th
- Muslim Festival of Breaking the Fast
- Three-day celebration immediately following Ramadan
- ⏰ Daylight Saving Time: Sunday 29th
- Clocks spring forward one hour at 1 a.m.
- Lose hour of sleep but gain longer, lighter evenings
Passover: Wednesday, 1st-Thursday 9th- Nine-day Jewish celebration of biblical Exodus of Israelites from slavery in Egypt
Good Friday & Easter Sunday: Friday 3rd & Sunday 5th- Christian holiday marking rise of Jesus from dead, days after execution
- End of Lent/beginning of resuming what you gave up for 40 days
Kids Eat Free: Tuesday 7th-Friday 17th- Available from 12-1:30 p.m.
- Swing by Coorie Cafe during Easter school holidays for no-cost meal
National Tea Day: Tuesday 21st- The most British day of the year
- Pop into Coorie Cafe or any Coorie kiosk for a cuppa
Earth Day: Wednesday 22nd- Pick up litter, plant a tree, visit a park, grow wildflowers, recycle, conserve water, calculate your footprint, learn, contact lawmakers, share resources
- 🧠 Mental Health Awareness Week: Monday 11th-Sunday 17th
- Annual event dedicated to raising awareness of mental health, promoting mental wellbeing for all
- 🧓 Dementia Action Week: Tuesday 19th-Monday 25th
- Raise awareness of importance of early diagnosis
- Use Alzheimer’s Society symptoms checklist for yourself, loved ones
- 🕌 Eid al-Adha: Tuesday, 26th-Saturday 30th
- Muslim Festival of Sacrifice
- Four-day celebration encouraging friendship, communication
📆 Recurring Activities
Adults & Older People
PHEW (People’s Health & Emotional Wellbeing) (pictured)
Thursdays: 6-8 p.m. (ages 16-25)
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Adult Carers Group
Last Wednesday of each month
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Young Adult Carers Group
Wednesdays (ages 16-25)
@ The Broomhouse Hub
The Beacon Club
Thursday & Friday
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Thrive Drop-In Service
Tuesdays: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
@ Oxgangs Library
Children & Young People
Bookbug
Tuesdays: 9:20-10:30 a.m.
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Young Carers Group
Mondays: Primary 1-5 (ages five-10)
Tuesdays: Primary 6-7 (ages 10-12)
Wednesdays: Years 1-2 (ages 12-15)
Thursdays: Years 3-6 (ages 15-18)
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Friday Youth Club (pictured)
Fridays
Ages eight-11: 4:30-6 p.m.
Ages 12-16: 6:30-8 p.m.
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Learning & Development
Work Club
Tuesdays: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Women’s Collective Social Group (pictured)
Tuesdays: 12:30-2 p.m.
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Digital Support Drop-In
Wednesdays: 2-4 p.m.
@ The Broomhouse Hub
ESOL
Mondays:
• IELTS Prep Course: 27 April-15 June
@ The Broomhouse Hub
• Intermediate Course: Ongoing
online
Wednesdays:
• Beginner Course: Ongoing
• Intermediate Course: Ongoing
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Tuesdays:
• Beginner Course: Ongoing
• Pre-Intermediate Course: Ongoing
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Thursdays:
• Conversation Class: Ongoing
@ The Broomhouse Hub
Bye, Bye, Bye
😭 Goodbye, Fin!
In March, we said a very sad goodbye and very big thank you to Space Food Services Manager (and beige food connoseiur) Fin Clarkson after four years of incredible social enterprise contributions to the southwest Edinburgh community and Coorie Food.
Wishing you all the success in your new role.
We’ll always have pizza. 🍕
👏 See ya on Fridays, Grant!
It is with a medium-weight heart that we sort of say goodbye to Facilities Team member Grant Taylor.
With more than nine years of dedication to the role, no one knows our building better than him. And while we will miss him as a regular face around The Hub, Grant is remaining with Space in his capacity as Youth Worker.
So it’s less of a ‘goodbye’ and more of a ‘see you later’.
Volunteer Opportunities
✋ A range of possibilities on your doorstep
(Photo credit: Jess Shurte/EIF)
We can’t do what we do without you!
Check out these great opportunities within Space and at some of our local partners:
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub
- B Healthy Together
- Wester Hailes Growing Communities
- Wester Hailes Youth Agency
- The BIG Project
- Community One Stop Shop
- Corstorphine Dementia Project
- Big Hearts Community Trust
Support the Space Mission
💰 Help us to help you
Space @ The Broomhouse Hub delivers more than 20 projects with the help of some 70 staff members and 250 volunteers. But we can’t do any of it without support from our amazing southwest Edinburgh community.
Every donation—from pennies between the sofa cushions to gifts in your will—makes a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged young people and vulnerable adults.
We know times are tough and not everyone can reach into their own pocket. Fundraising on our behalf contributes to programmes focused on physical and mental wellbeing, education and training, youth work, community care, and support for older people.
You don’t have to jump out of a plane or swim the Forth. Be creative: host a coffee morning, games night, charity football match, or walking challenge.
🗸 £100 allows us to cover the cost of an ESOL tutor to help people learn new skills and get into work
🗸 £250 means a day trip to bowling or another activity for disadvantaged young people
🗸 £500 helps us buy new equipment for our many groups and classes
Whatever you choose, it will make a difference.
Donate online or set up your own fundraiser. New ideas always welcome!
If you want to learn how we can support you, message us on social media (links below) or drop an email to admin@spacescot.org with your contact details.
Thank you for considering Space and our mission to champion community development and bring people together. 🩷
Stay Connected
💬 Learn how to stay in touch with Space
Don’t miss out on the latest news, photos, videos, and more from Space @ The Broomhouse Hub:
Join our WhatsApp Channel! ⬇️
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Help Promote Space
🗣️ Stay in the know by following us on socials
For PR/media requests, please contact:
Marketing & Communications Officer, Steph Mlot:
stephanie.mlot@spacescot.org | 07512 307414
Relationships & Fundraising Manager, Martin Allen:
martin.allen@spacescot.org | 07597 365025