Investment theme: Building skills and confidence, Growing social connections
Last year representatives from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, including Trustee Rebecca Bonnington, visited the Women’s Wellbeing Group at The Crannie, part of the Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Nestled just off the Canongate, The Crannie is a warm, welcoming community hub – and this weekly women’s group is one of its beating hearts.
The women we met come together as part of a women’s wellbeing drop-in to talk, share ideas, share their talents and support each other. Many are navigating or recovering from trauma, addiction and domestic abuse, and the space has been intentionally designed to feel safe, women-only and trauma-informed. The group is led by two skilled facilitators, a social worker and a community worker, who currently give their time voluntarily. With support from the Women’s Fund for Scotland, the aim is to secure proper payment for this work and ensure the group can run consistently throughout the year.
Crafting is a big part of life at the group, and it was impossible not to be impressed by the skill on display. Women were knitting, sewing and making beautiful, handcrafted items – the kind of things you’d expect to see in an upmarket shop. In fact, some of their work is already sold through boutique hotels. This writer left convinced they should have their own Etsy page, with any income reinvested straight back into the women’s wellbeing group to support more sessions, materials and days out.
The support on offer, though, goes far beyond craft. The group regularly heads out together to local galleries, museums and exhibitions – from shows like Women in Revolt at the Modern Art Gallery and visits to The People’s Story Museum, to a forthcoming fungi exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden. These trips aren’t just “nice days out”; they spark powerful conversations about women’s histories, resilience, liberation and the different ways women survive and rebuild after hardship. Women use these shared experiences as a gentle way into talking about their own lives and hopes for the future.
The Crannie itself wraps further support around the women. A community pantry offers affordable access to food, and events such as a cost-of-living support day help women connect with practical advice and services. The wellbeing group can tap into all of this, so that emotional, social and financial wellbeing are considered together rather than in isolation.
What came through most strongly during our visit was the sense of genuine community. Women spoke about finding friendship after long periods of isolation, about finally having somewhere they could come as they are, without judgement. Week by week, they are rebuilding confidence, repairing relationships, and taking small but significant steps towards a more secure, self-sufficient future – not only for themselves, but for their families and the wider community.
For the Women’s Fund for Scotland, this visit was a powerful reminder of why investing in local, specialist women’s spaces matter so much: with the right support, women don’t just cope with what life has thrown at them – they heal, thrive and rise.
When you give to the Women’s Fund for Scotland, you’re helping to make spaces like the women’s wellbeing hub at The Crannie possible in communities all across the country. Your support means women who have faced isolation, trauma, addiction or abuse can find a warm room, a listening ear and the chance to rebuild confidence alongside others who understand. It helps pay skilled facilitators properly, keep groups running week after week, and fund the crafting materials, shared meals and cultural outings that turn a drop-in into a lifeline. A gift to WFS doesn’t just support one project in one neighbourhood – it fuels a growing network of women’s spaces for women and girls. Please email Shona if you’d like to give a gift
