Where we work

We work in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Local area map

Issues our young people face

A lot of the young people that we see have experienced social isolation – if you live in the Lothians it can take you two or three buses to get into the centre. If a course starts at 10AM, that can mean getting up at 7.30AM.

Services in the Lothians are thin on the ground… there are specific places for drug and alcohol problems but nothing like Fairbridge. This means that young people have to travel, which can be a real barrier.

Edinburgh is an expensive place to live – in terms of housing and cost of living. But there are real pockets of deprivation and a big homelessness problem. A lot of our referrals are from homeless hostels.

Drugs and alcohol can be a problem for young people – just like anywhere else in the UK. For some alcohol has gone beyond being fun… it has become a problem. Gang and knife crime are also issues. A growing number of young people have received some kind of weapon related offence.