Edinburgh Community Cafes - Map

What is a community cafe? 

A community cafe should provide a clean, welcoming, safe and warm environment for their community.  They usually address issues around sustainability, community cohesion and inclusion. They may be a revenue earner, or offer training opportunities or be a focal point for centre users and local people. Others may be part of a sports club or a leisure centre, offering refreshments to those taking part in activities or to chaperoning spectators. 

These cafes may all be very different from one another: however, they often have and work towards similar aims: 

• Friendly and welcoming atmosphere
• Sociable places preventing isolation
• Promoting healthier eating and be affordable
• Fair trade and local (where possible) and ethical 

 

Eric Liddell Community Cafe

Many of the cafes are Fundraising initiatives - here are a couple of examples. 

• Cafe Life in Stockbridge supports independence and wellbeing of the elderly and their families. 
• Space and the Broomhouse Hub -provides lunch clubs for dementia groups and other special needs groups as well as running training projects to young offenders. 

What is the Community Cafe Network? 

The Network brings the different cafes together to help increase the community cafe brand and to bridge, bond and link their social capital. As a network, we aim to share skills, training and knowledge, as well as increase the impact the different cafes have within their assorted communities.

Community cafes in the network support one another & work on projects which benefit everyone. The network is facilitated by Edinburgh Community Food and supported by NHS Lothian. 

The community café group is part of an NHS Lothian project to actively promote 'Breastfeeding Friendly' spaces and some of the cafes display this sticker.

This means that staff have had awareness training on the benefits of breastfeeding and there is visible encouragement and comfortable places for women who would like to do this.  It's already illegal in the UK to ask a woman to stop breastfeeding, but this is different, it is making sure she feels supported and encouraged if she choses to.

We're always looking for more cafes to display the stickers and posters and to get the training.  If you're interested to find out more, please get in touch with Jo on 0131 467 7326 or [email protected]. 

Hub Grub Cafe

Cosy conversations at your local community cafe

It is estimated that 55% of UK households will fall into fuel poverty by January 2023.  This may impact our health, especially for those of us who are elderly, live with children, are on a low income, have disabilities and for black and minority ethnic groups.  Because of this, Community Cafes are now more important than ever, offering a warm, safe meeting space for local communities.  They help us to stay socially connected, provide volunteering opportunities, jobs and new skills and most importantly, offer low-cost nourishing meals.

A huge thank you to The Mill Cafe, Newhaven Connections and Dalmeny Kirk Cafe who very quickly turned around recipes to contribute to The Nights are Fair Drawn' In, a community focused guide to wellbeing support and practical advice this winter. 

Cafe	Area
Bellfield Community Cafe	Portobello
Bridge Cafe - Holy Trinity Wester Hailes	Wester Hailes
Bridgend Farmhouse	South Edinburgh
Butterflies Cafe	Marchmont
Cafe 48	North Merchiston
Café Connect, Eric Liddell Centre	Merchiston
Cafe Life	Stockbridge
Café @ ONC | Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre	Oxgangs
Canalside Café	Meggatland
Coffee Saints	City Centre	City Centre
Dalmeny Kirk	Dalmeny
Hub Grub Community Café	Lochend, Restalrig
Kirkgate Cafe – Libertonkirk	Liberton
Leith Victoria Swim Centre - Edinburgh Leisure	Leith
The Mill Cafe – Balerno Parish Church	Balerno
The Mission Café | Niddrie Community Church	Niddrie
Newhaven Connection	Newhaven
North Edinburgh Arts Community Cafe	Muirhouse, Pilton
Out of the Blue Drill Hall	Leith Walk
Perc U Up Cafe	South Leith
Richmond Church Cafe | Richmond Craigmillar Church	Craigmillar
RNIB Scotland Community Cafe	Hillside
Saltyard Cafe	Dalry
Space Kitchen Cafe	Broomhouse
Sycamore Tree Café	Davidsons Mains
The Undercroft Cafe	City Centre
The Water of Leith Conservation Trust Community Cafe	Lanark Road
The Well	City Centre
Whale Arts -  The Pod Cafe	Wester Hailes