Transition Edinburgh South

Transition Edinburgh South TES is part of the grass roots movement for transformative change, good for people and the planet

Transition Edinburgh South (Scotland), TES for short, recently became a charity (Company No SC445635). TES is run by voluntary trustees (currently Pat Abel, Tricia Kaminski, Lynn Jamieson, Norrie MacPhail) . TES's ethos is to support community and sustainability in ways that try to mitigate climate change and stop harm to wildlife - people getting together and turning good ideas into actions where

they live. Our main activity is supporting Gracemount Community Garden in the Gracemount, Budriehouse/Southhouse, Glimerton/Liberton, Moredon area on the South East of Edinburgh. (You can also look at Gracemount Community Garden's page.) Gardening uses techniques that are organic and regenerative along with friendly welcoming ways of working - helping the soil, the wildlife, access to nutrious good food and supporting the local community. Richard Whiston is our friendly Gracemount Community Garden gardener/coordinator working with local voluteer gardeners. The coordinator and most of the tools, materials, facilities and some of the workshops associated with the garden are paid for by TES activities. We are currently still fundraising to pay for the disabled toilet installed in our new portacabin. We also contract the services of a professional fundraiser/development worker, Hugo Whitaker, to help us. TES are also providing financial and practical support to local efforts chaired by Lindsay Graham to put together a new legal entity that plans to take of over the now closed-down building known as the Masion. Long ago, the walled garden that is the homebase of Gracemount Community Garden belonged to the owners of the Mansion. More recently the Mansion was a Youth and Community Centre run by City of Edinburgh Council until they decided that necessary repairs were beyond their budget and closed the building as unsafe. The local community are setting up a Mansion Development Trust to take on ownership with an asset transfer under the Community Empowerment Act. TES and the Mansion Development Trust and both looking for new trustees and members from all walks of life. Whether you’re a busker or a banker (or both!), have lots of time or a little, please help us make a difference.

There's so much good stuff happening at the garden on Saturday I'm losing track. TEs will bring you a mindful conversati...
18/06/2026

There's so much good stuff happening at the garden on Saturday I'm losing track. TEs will bring you a mindful conversation group, music, food, story telling, nature play for kids, n ature workshops for kids, seed saving and propagation, garden walks with Richard, parkour and much more. Then there is all the good food from Scran and the masses of great stuff from the mansion team.

How could this possibly get better I hear you say... well it s*all free*!!!

Come and celebrate the solstice in the garden. Surely there is no better place for it.

Our next Q***r Group session is this Saturday the 20th, 11-3pm! Join Mark + Jim to learn about field recording for music...
17/06/2026

Our next Q***r Group session is this Saturday the 20th, 11-3pm! Join Mark + Jim to learn about field recording for music, try out making your own song, and enjoy the garden. As always no experience needed, and we'll break for lunch about 1 💖

For more info on the group (including access information for the garden), see this page: https://queergardening.carrd.co/

If you have any questions, requests for future sessions, or if we can help you access these sessions, please email us at [email protected]! ✨

***Saturday volunteer sessions/ Fortnightly/ 10am until 2pm/ next session - 27/06***This group is gathering a bit of mom...
17/06/2026

***Saturday volunteer sessions/ Fortnightly/ 10am until 2pm/ next session - 27/06***

This group is gathering a bit of momentum and the regulars are having a great time. It's a brilliant way to get stuck in with the gardens if you cant make it through the week. Callum took the crew to the walled garden this week but next time the group will be at The medical practice again.

Thanks Callum!

Lizzie used to work at TES - She now keeps some sheep and grows a wide range of fruit and veg, aided by a Polycrub on he...
16/06/2026

Lizzie used to work at TES - She now keeps some sheep and grows a wide range of fruit and veg, aided by a Polycrub on her croft. Her community projects have included community buy-out in order to make a croft available to a family, hence attracting new children and their parents to the island, helping to keep open the local school. She has a side line in providing guided walks to cliffs with nesting sea birds and local sites of archaeological, geological or natural interest. She's taken the joy of the transition movement to highlands and islands!

https://www.theweecroftcolonsay.co.uk/

***Whats in your bread?***Did you know that farm chemicals find their way in to our food, kill our soil and harm us? Ple...
15/06/2026

***Whats in your bread?***

Did you know that farm chemicals find their way in to our food, kill our soil and harm us? Please take a read of this and sign the petition to help us take a step towards better food. Remember, it's only the cheapest foods that are a problem - there's no glyphosate or other chemicals in a £6 organic sour dough loaf from a farmers market. As usual, people on lower incomes suffer the most.

A major ambition of TES is to get as much chemical free food into households in our communities as we possibly can.

Guest writer Henry Mathias explores the widespread use of glyphosate in UK agriculture and public spaces, questioning its environmental and health impacts and calling for greater scrutiny as the UK considers renewing its licence.

***Check out our seed library at Valley Park Community Centre - free seeds for all***Did you know that we have a seed li...
14/06/2026

***Check out our seed library at Valley Park Community Centre - free seeds for all***

Did you know that we have a seed library at Valley Park? You can drop in and get yourself some seeds for the garden any time the community centre, in Southhouse, is open. We'd love to see what seeds you have too, so if you have a surplus from bought seeds or if you've gathered some of your own why not swap some of ours for some of yours?

**why local food?**Pam is a friend and a good food ally - this is an enjoyable wee video about her restaurant and her wo...
13/06/2026

**why local food?**

Pam is a friend and a good food ally - this is an enjoyable wee video about her restaurant and her work in food sovereignty. Just a little something nice to watch during the weekend. Enjoy!

How a former crofter’s cottage on the shores of Loch Fyne in Scotla...

***Evening Youth Groups***We just have the best time in our evening youth groups. The team - Rita, Bara, Cat and Jill ar...
12/06/2026

***Evening Youth Groups***

We just have the best time in our evening youth groups. The team - Rita, Bara, Cat and Jill are so good at creating fun activities for the team who join them. There's always plenty to do and always some food to share. Last week this group of boys were making maps of the garden and mansion grounds, placing themselves in the bigger picture and considering there environment... With bananas and peanut butter!!!

join in between 3pm and 6pm Monday to Thursday.

Trees and Seas Outdoor Adventures

***PARTY 20th June 5pm to 8pm****There's only 10 days to go until this epic fun raiser - dont miss it.
11/06/2026

***PARTY 20th June 5pm to 8pm****

There's only 10 days to go until this epic fun raiser - dont miss it.

**'What the garden knows' - How nature helps us be resilient. A small gathering at Gracemount Garden during our solstice...
10/06/2026

**'What the garden knows' - How nature helps us be resilient.
A small gathering at Gracemount Garden during our solstice event on the evening of 20th June.**

Let's sit together for a little while.

We'll gather in a corner of the community garden, take a moment to notice what's around us: the plants, the soil, the small creatures going about their business. And reflect together on what nature can teach us. Hard times come for all of us, and for the people we love. Sometimes the world around us, if we slow down enough to notice it, has something useful to offer.

This is an informal, guided conversation with some simple (mindfulness) exercises to try out on the spot.There are no right answers and no pressure to speak. Come as you are, whether you feel like talking, or just sitting and listening. Both are equally welcome.

Facilitated by Ania Sharwood, founder and coach at Impact Sweet Spot™ - For people who care about the world and want to help make things better.

Address

Gracemount Community Garden And Woodland
Edinburgh
EH166FD

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