Who Is Involved

The development of the fund between 2022 - 2024 has been enabled through a collaboration between many people and organisations. The fund has been co-designed by a range of individual citizens and campaigners, people representing community organisations, funders as well as those representing local and national government. This means that we have had the voices and experiences of a diverse range of people included in the process from the beginning.

The team has been led by a seconded project lead working alongside a freelance team of facilitators and consultants. The organisations supporting the secondment and hosting of the project play a key role. Around 100 people have contributed their resources – time and money - towards this development phase.

Read below for more information about the project team during 2022 - 2024 as well as the learning groups, hosting and secondment partners.

Project Team (2022 - 2024)

  • Leah Black

    PROJECT LEAD

    Leah has led the development of Regenerative Futures Fund since 2022 whilst seconded to EVOC from her role as Chief Executive at Whale Arts. Leah will continue to lead the fund from within the team at Foundation Scotland from July 2024. More about Leah.

  • Suzy Glass

    FREELANCE

    Suzy has convened the Funders Community of Practice as well helping across other areas of the development phase. More about Suzy.

  • Mhairi Reid

    FREELANCE

    Mhairi has worked closely with End Poverty Edinburgh members group, as well helping across other areas of the development phase. More about Mhairi.

  • Shasta Ali

    FREELANCE

    Shasta started working with the Organisation Learning Group and then moved to co-leading the collective imagination programme with Jennifer Williams. More about Shasta.

  • Talat Yaqoob

    FREELANCE

    Talat has worked with our Organisation Learning Group as well helping across other areas of the development phase. More about Talat.

  • Jennifer Williams

    FREELANCE

    Jennifer has co-led with Shasta H Ali our collective imagination programme More about Jennifer.

  • Louise Mousseau

    FREELANCE

    Louise worked with the team and the co-design groups on theory of change, fund design and supported the development of the operational plan. More about Louise.

  • Steff Bell

    FREELANCE

    Steff advised and supported on hosting and governance. More about Steff.

  • Charlotte Young

    FREELANCE

    Charlotte is supporting with making connections between the fund and key public sector partners. More about Charlotte.

Learning and Design Groups (2022 - 2024)

Organisation Learning Group

We worked with representative from the following community organisations representing a range of people, areas and themes across Edinburgh:

  • The Welcoming

  • NKS

  • Canongate Youth

  • Passion4Fusion

  • Fresh Start

  • LGBT Health & Wellbeing

  • Lauriston Farm

  • Feniks

  • SEAG

  • Edinburgh Tool Library

  • All Together Edinburgh

  • Project Esperanza

End Poverty Edinburgh Members

We worked with representatives from End Poverty Edinburgh.

End Poverty Edinburgh is a group of independent citizens aiming to raise awareness of poverty in Edinburgh, influence decision-making, and hold the city to account. The group includes people with a diverse range of experiences including people with lived experience of living in poverty and citizens who care about poverty across the city. There are around 12 members who share a common goal that in order to make change, citizens must be involved and listened to from the outset.

The group were formed as part of the Poverty Commission - read more here.

The group are supported by Poverty Alliance - read more here.

Funders Community of Practice

We worked with a group of funders who financially supported the development phase, as well as local and national government representatives, who all got on board with learning together, from the following organisations:

  • The Robertson Trust

  • Foundation Scotland

  • Turn2us Edinburgh Trust

  • William Grant Foundation

  • Corra Foundation

  • The National Lottery Community Fund

  • Scottish Government

  • City of Edinburgh Council

  • Capital City Partnership

We have also worked with the following organisations at later stages who have supported the development phase outwith the Funders Community of Practice:

  • Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

  • Creative Informatics @ The University of Edinburgh

Hosting & Secondment Support (2022 - 2024)

EVOC

EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council) has been the development phase host between between 2022 - 2024, hosting the secondment with operational and network building support. EVOC supports, develops and promotes the interests and work of voluntary and community organisations across the city. Find out more about EVOC here. And visit the Regenerative Futures Fund project page on the EVOC website here.

WHALE Arts

WHALE Arts team and Board have supported the development phase by seconding its Chief Executive to EVOC between 2022 - 2024. WHALE Arts is a community arts organisation based in Wester Hailes in South West Edinburgh. Read more about WHALE Arts here

Foundation Scotland

Foundation Scotland will act as the host for the implementation phase of the fund from July 2024 onwards. Foundation Scotland are Scotland’s community foundation working with communities and donors across Scotland. Read more about Foundation Scotland here.