Join us! Everyone's welcome

Become a Member

Everyone has something to offer. Everyone deserves somewhere to belong.

Grassmarket Community Project is a welcoming community in the heart of Edinburgh, where people come together to build relationships, discover their strengths and take part in something bigger than themselves.

Whether you’re looking for friendship and connection, want to try something new, develop your skills or simply find a place where you can be yourself, there’s a place for you at GCP. Our community offers activities, learning, creative opportunities, volunteering, practical support and plenty of chances to get involved.

We believe that people should be valued for what they can contribute, not defined by the challenges they may be facing. At GCP, everyone brings their own experiences, ideas and strengths, and together we support one another to grow, build confidence and create positive change.

What happens when I join?

Joining GCP starts with getting to know you.

Everyone completes a Membership Form so we can understand a little about you and make sure we can support any individual needs. You’ll then be invited to a Welcome Meeting, where you can meet the team, find out more about the community, have a look around the Centre and talk about what you’d like to get involved in.

There’s no expectation to do everything at once. You can find your own starting point and get involved in a way that feels right for you.

Thank you for your interest in joining Grassmarket Community Project, click on the link below to register or pick up a form from the Grassmarket Centre at 86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh.

Members Programme

GCP Members

GCP’s Members Programme is at the heart of what we do. Choose from a dynamic range of free activities, classes and supported groups.

Our Young Members

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Aged between 16-30 years? Become a Young Member. There’s lots of opportunities, plus you can join in with GCP’s Members Programme.

Open Door Services

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Anyone can access food, cinema and other services without registering as a member.

Sponsor GCP Members

HSBC Corporate Partnerships at the Grassmarket Centre - Grassmarket Community Project

Directly support our Members. We make sure your relationship with us is the best fit for you and your organisation. You will be in very good company!

– Members Stories –

Below we share some of our members stories. In some cases names and gender may have been changed. These stories help show the range of people we support and how we do so. Importantly, they also help illustrate the way people’s individual contribution is valued.

Members Stories – Elizabeth

Elizabeth has found strength and peace in our GCP community, where she feels she can be herself.

Members Stories – Lee Ann

‘I can join in anything here…’ Lee Ann is one of our many inspiring Members, she has been coming to GCP for over two years

Members Stories – Ruth

Ruth describes how she had found life such a struggle but now feels safe and supported at GCP

Members Stories – Davie

Davie says coming to GCP saved his life, ‘I think that, if I had continued the way I was going, the drink would have killed me.’

Members Stories – Evelyn

Evelyn has described GCP services, volunteers and staff as a lifeline. We thank her for sharing her story to help others.

David’s GCP Story

David has been a member since 2023, ‘I was surprised at the various activities and the breadth of people who use the service.’

Meet Stephen a GCP pre-apprentice

Meet Stephen, he is a great ambassador for GCP’s Pre-apprenticeship Programme. To help inspire others he shares his experience

Frank’s GCP story

Meet Frank, inspirational artist, member AND volunteer at The Grassmarket Community Project. We are so lucky to have him with us!

Creativity – Lee’s Story

One question and a desire to help others sparked Lee’s creativity at The Grassmarket Community Project

– Our Members Programme –

GCP Members take part in the many free in-person and on-line activities and workshops, covering a wide range of interests. Here’s a taste…

Numeracy Group

Getting to grips with numbers! Numeracy improves life outcomes, such as employment and even our physical health…

Community Music Group

Our Community Music Group is a new addition to GCP’s Members Programme. Run by University of Edinburgh music students, it’s attracting great interest!

Creative Writing Group

Painting pictures with words, Creative Writing is a very popular Members group, it is a relaxed and safe place to explore and express

Reading and Writing Group

GCP’s popular Reading and Writing Group builds the confidence of Members who wish to improve their literacy levels.

Online Coffee Breaks

Wherever our Members are, they can take a coffee break with Tommy online! Another popular highlight of our Members Online Programme.

Open Book Reading Group

GCP’s Open Book Group is very popular with our Members. Our own story-catcher Caroline went along to see why…

Our Guitar Group

In our Guitar Group ‘We let the music rule!’ You only need three chords to join in the jamming session.

Our Art Group

A picture paints a thousand words… Members come along to our Art Group to relax and let their creative spirit run free

Long Walks

The many benefits of long walks are well understood (and greatly enjoyed) by the GCP’s Walking Group. Find out more…

The IT Group

Join the IT Group at GCP. Held twice a week, these groups are VERY popular with our Members.

Weekly Walking Group

Our Meadows Walking Group enjoy their weekly time together. Join them for all four seasons and more in beautiful Edinburgh

Make and Mend

Discover more about our ever-popular Make and Mend classes.

Privacy and Information Policy

We respect the privacy of our members, volunteers and wider network of supporters. We only collect information we consider necessary to help us achieve our charitable purposes and ensure the success of our social enterprises that support these. You can read our privacy and information policy here.

We sensitively and respectfully collate and fully anonymise all information obtained from the components of our Evaluation Framework

A BIG THANK YOU

The Grassmarket Community Project’s Members Programme relies on the generosity of our customers, funders and donors. Our key funders for this area of our work are Nationwide Community Grants, The Robertson Trust and EVOC/Scottish Government Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. We thank them for their essential continued support.

Nationwide Building Society Community Grants
The Robertson Trust
EVOC logo
ScotGov Logo