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Wester Hailes Community Trust
Trustees' Annual Report
For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements and the Independent Examiner's report for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Reference & Administrative Information
Charity Name Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charity No SC046486 Address WHALE Arts Centre 30 Westburn Grove Edinburgh EH14 2SA Current Trustees Eoghan Howard (Chairperson) Eunice Main Fiona Glasgow Isaac Adejumo Mike Grant Milind Kolhatkar Neil Finlayson Sylwia Bogusz Raleigh Twigge (Appointed at November Board meeting 2025)
Trustee Greig Robertson stepped down in June 2025 due to time constraints. Vice Chair Maryanne Jacobs also stepped down from her role as a trustee and vice chair in August 2025.
Structure Governance & Management
Constitution
Wester Hailes Community Trust is a SCIO (Scottich Charitable Incorporated Organisation).
Registered Charity Number: SC046486
Appointment of Trustees
At the first AGM, those members eligible to a vote (under Clause 47) may elect any member (unless they are debarred from membership under clauses 67 and 68) to be a charity trustee. /
Management
The management of Wester Hailes Community Trust is overseen by its voluntary trustees.
Capacity building and the management of the Trust’s activities and finances are delivered by Community Development Workers (CDWs), Hayley Adam (HA) and Min Leng (ML), who are engaged on a freelance basis.
In early 2025, ML was appointed as an additional CDW to join the team. ML works 14 hours per week, while HA continues to work 7 hours per week.
Charitable purposes
The organisation's purposes are: 4.1 To advance citizenship and community development and to provide relief of those in need by reason of disadvantage in the Wester Hailes area of the City of Edinburgh by;
4.1.1. Facilitating local community events to encourage local residents to participate in, and inform, the activities of the Trust.
4.1.2. The development and direct delivery of projects that further the charitable purposes of the Trust.
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4.1.3 Providing grants to organisations that support communities within Wester Hailes.
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4.1.4 Providing grants to individuals that support activities that promote citizenship or community development in Wester Hailes.
Activities
The Trust’s activities in 2025 continued to be guided by the 36 projects set out in the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan (WHLPP).
A significant contribution to this work was the Trust’s successful 2024 funding bid to the National Lottery Community Led Fund, which secured £118,240 over three years to support project delivery and Community Development Worker (CDW) capacity.
This funding enabled the Trust to focus on the delivery of nine priority WHLPP projects, including:
(21) Coordinated Management of Community Facilities and Services;
(35) Capacity Building of Wester Hailes Community Trust;
(30) Open Access Indoor Spaces;
(31) Open Access Outdoor Spaces; (16) Local Centre; (29) Greenspace Community Factoring Service; (19) Re-Parking; and (24) Canal Site Community Hub.
In addition, in May 2025 the Trust secured a further £4,950 from the Community Grants Fund to support the installation of solar panels on the roof of the container at the Local Centre, Westside Shed.
Further details on each of these projects and their progress are set out in the Achievements and Performance section of this report.
Achievements & Performance
2025 was a year of continued growth for Wester Hailes Community Trust. The Trust was supported by two freelance Community Development Workers, Hayley Adam (HA) and Min Leng (ML), who worked alongside the Board of Trustees to further the Trust’s charitable purposes.
During the year, the Trust supported the City of Edinburgh Council’s local team to establish the Wester Hailes Community Forum, bringing together stakeholders identified in the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan (WHLPP). The Forum provides a shared space to exchange project updates, identify gaps, and strengthen collaboration across organisations working in the area.
Due to capacity limitations, the Trust focused delivery on the Local Centre (Project 16). Key activity included progress towards establishing the Westside Shed within the local centre. The Shed is being developed as a shared community asset, hosting a tool library and a bike library, while also offering free access for wider community use. This work also contributed to the delivery of Projects 19, 29and 31, supporting improvements to the local environment and the activation of shared community space.
The Trust built a strong and productive partnership with Edinburgh Tool Library (ETL), supporting the opening of a satellite service in Wester Hailes by the end of 2025. A Community Cataloguing Day was delivered, welcoming local residents to drop in and be introduced to the Tool Library. The Trust purchased tables and shelving to support the operation of the Tool Library, and a large communitynoticeboard was installed outside the Shed to improve local communication and visibility.
ETL began opening the Wester Hailes Tool Library within the Shed once per week from November 2025, achieving regular attendance and engaging several local volunteers interested in supporting its operation. ETL is planning to recruit a Librarian based within satellite services such as Wester Hailes and Granton to ensure consistent opening hours and sustained community engagement. The Trust also supported ETL to build valuable connections with local stakeholders, including other local charities. During the year, ETL delivered several DIY workshops in the Shed and other community spaces, with plans to deliver further skills-building workshops in 2026, including the potential construction of planters for the local centre.
In addition, the Trust organised a Dr Bike Day, during which local residents brought bicycles to the Shed for repairs. This engagement highlighted strong community demand for the opening of a Wester Hailes Bike Library within the Shed. A grant from the Community Grants Fund was secured to support the installation of solar panels on the Shed, providing a sustainable power source for its ongoing use.
Under Project 30, the Trust activated a range of community spaces through the organisation of Members’ Meetings and the provision of community meals and childcare. The first Members’ Meeting of the year was delivered in collaboration with Wester Hailes Growing Communities at the Calders Green Shoots Community Garden. The second Members’ Meeting was hosted in partnership with Holy Trinity Church at the Bridge Café. Both events were well attended and provided opportunities for local residents to connect, learn about the Trust’s work, and receive updates on the progress of the WHLPP.
During 2025, Wester Hailes Community Council was re-established. While the Community Council faced challenges in sustaining its activities towards the end of the year, the Trust intends to explore ways to provide support in 2026. Progress on Project 24: Canal Site Community Hub was limited during 2025 and has been identified as a priority focus for development in 2026.
Reserves Policy
The Trust is working towards its long term sustainability in the following ways: Supporting increased community participation and ownership in the activities of the Trust Documenting the progress made on each LPP Project and ensuring all Trust activities can be linked back to a LPP Project. Maintaining relationships with all local organisations and stakeholders, keeping up to date on their LPP project progress, and actively identifying the ways in which we as organisations work together to optimise our service to the community. In addition to the above intentions, trustees will continue to develop a suitable Reserves Policy, in line with best practice, to meet their governance responsibilities.
Plans for Future Periods
The nature of the Trust’s activities is determined by its membership, which consists of local residents and representatives of organisations based in Wester Hailes. In the coming year, the Trust intends to continue strengthening its membership and organisational capacity in order to better represent and serve the local community.
The Trust will focus on increasing its visibility and presence within the community, engaging directly with local residents, and providing opportunities for skills development. This will be delivered through activity at the Westside Shed, alongside wider Trust programmes and events, such as members' meetings. By creating accessible and welcoming opportunities for participation, the Trust aims to encourage greater community involvement and ensure that local priorities continue to shape its work.
As community engagement grows and more information is generated about local services and activities, the Trust plans to work in partnership with Whale Arts to explore the development of a virtual noticeboard and community information map. This would bring together local information in one accessible online space, potentially hosted on a single website. Building on the popularity of the previous monthly community calendar, the Trust will assess how this resource could be reintroduced in a sustainable way, taking account of current capacity limitations.
The Trust will continue to work closely with the City of Edinburgh Council’s local team to host the Wester Hailes Community Forum. The Forum aims to support accountability for the delivery of projects identified in the WHLPP, while also providing a space for organisations to share learning and develop collaborative responses to local challenges.
To further strengthen collaboration across the community, the Trust will explore the establishment of up to two thematic working groups. These groups would bring together local stakeholders to support joined-up delivery on specific priority projects. This includes exploring partnership opportunities to support the development of the Wester Hailes Bike Library, while continuing to support the ongoing operation of the Wester Hailes Tool Library.
Alongside these priorities, the Trust will continue to progress the 36 projects identified in the WHLPP, with particular focus on the nine projects supported through the National Lottery Community Fund until 2027.
On behalf of Trustees…………………………………………………….. EM LeomeeA
Date………… 21/04/2026 …………………
Wester Hailes Community Trust
Statement of Receipts and Payments - For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
| Receipts Donations Grants Funding Awards Other Charitable Activities Other income Total Receipts Payments Payments relating directly to charitable activities Total Payments Surplus/(Deficit) for the year |
Note | Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds 2025 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 3 4 |
3,000 3,000 300 0 43,530 43,530 46,750 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
|
| 3,000 43,530 46,530 47,050 |
||
| 0 24,990 24,990 - 32,914- |
||
| 0 24,990 24,990 32,914 |
||
| 3,000 18,540 21,540 14,136 |
Wester Hailes Community Trust Statement of Balances - For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|Funds|Funds|2025|2024|
|Funds Reconciliation|
|Cash at Bank & in Hand Brought Forward|988|24,177|25,165|11,029|
|Surplus/(Deficit) for year|3,000|18,540|21,540|14136|
|Cash at Bank & in Hand Carry Forward|3,988|42,717|46,705|25,165|
|Bank & Cash Balances|
|-|-|
|Bank Deposit Account|46,705|25,165|
|Cash in Hand|0|0|
|46,705|25,165|
|On behalf of Trustees……………………………………………………..|Ee|AN! aa|||
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Date……… 21/04/2026 ..........
Wester Hailes Community Trust
Notes to the Accounts - For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
1. Basis of Accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts & payments basis in accordance with the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
2. Nature and purpose of funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. Restricted funds have to be used for the purpose for which they were given. During the year there were restricted funds, as shown in Notes 4 and 5.
3. Receipts
| Receipts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | ||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Donations | 3,000 | 300 | |
| Grants | 43,530 | 46,750 | |
| 46,530 | 47,050 |
Wester Hailes Community Trust
Notes to the Accounts - For the Year Ended 31 December 2025
4 Cost of Charitable Activities
| Cost of Charitable Activities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | ||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Project Fees | 2,489 | 11,799 | |
| Management Costs | 18,978 | 15,454 | |
| Office | 1,380 | 293 |
| Printing/Stationery Catering Insurance Professional Fees Miscellaneous |
541 0 232 196 1,200 0 170 - 4,154- 0 - 1,018- 24,990 32,914 |
|---|---|