Throughout the day, as a diverse community, we discussed our different thoughts and felt our connections to the struggles of people in Palestine and all over the world and held space for conversations about change, leading to expressions during the open mic for an end to genocide and oppression and a world of peace and safety.

On Sunday 20th August we held an event as part of Edinburgh Art Festival, with the festival artists in residence Yasmin Rifaii and Dayna Ash: creative director, and executive director of Haven for Artists respectively. Haven for Artists is a cultural feminist organisation based in Beirut, Lebanon. Working at the intersection of art and activism, Haven is a physical and digital platform supporting cultural works and knowledge production rooted in intersectional feminism, gender and racial justice, and decolonial practices.

Notes from a public forum towards shaping the future of social care in Scotland. Hosted by the Community Wellbeing Collective (CWC) and chaired by CWC members Bobby Sayers and Maryanne Jacobs. This event was attended by many people with a deep connection to care including two councillors who sit on the IJB, a decision making body for Health and Social Care in Edinburgh.

An incredible platform for vulnerability, emotion and calls for change was created in a collaboration between Nick Kemp, the Common Wheel Care Reform Group, Starcatchers and CWC members Chantal, Eunice, Jogob, Marion, Federica, Rumilla, Josie, Bobby, Ryan and Raymond. We came together to share personal experiences of care and hopes for how care can evolve in the future.

A powerful collaboration between writer Phil Crockett Thomas, Mez from harm reduction and outreach charity Crew 2000, Maddie from grassroots movement Edinburgh Anti-Raids, and CWC members Jj Fadaka, Chantal Auguste, Raymond Collins and Josie Tothill, March’s Anchor Event was a day of creativity, affirmation and hope where we explored alternatives to the traditional prison system as well as what we could do as individuals and as a community to build a society where we all feel respected, valued and safe.

A beautiful day of accessibility and healing was created by a wonderful wellbeing panel of healers and physical therapy practitioners in collaboration with CWC members Chantal Auguste and Josie Tothill, rounded off beautifully by a "Breathe the Open Space" themed open mic by CWC member Raymond. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Our latest Anchor Event was an amazing day of conscious connection and conversation on the topic of resisting racism and celebrating diversity. This powerful collaboration between CWC members Chantal Auguste and Jj Fadaka and Phoenix Archer of the Scottish Civic Trust was truly a day to remember!

We had many special days over winter and would love to share some moments of celebration we held in the last week before a short winter break as well as some good news for 2023!

Here in the Community Wellbeing Space we are inviting you to blog with us. It may be a single review of how you feel about the space, a summary of an event you attended or even a story of something that happened as a result of having come to the space.

CWC member Josie Tothill gave information on the cost of living crisis, including who is profiting from it. Followed by a talk and discussion with Mike Cormack from Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty, thinking through what actions we can take together and ways we can form solidarity. Including information on fighting unjust social welfare sanctions. We also had food by the incredible...

Super grateful for all the CASWO members that travelled across the country to host the 'Creating Caring Communities Workshop' exploring: How do we care within a system that is so uncaring? What would a society based on care look like? How do we get there? Followed by a discussion around: What needs to change in...

We had an amazing workshop with Bee Asha from Spit It Out for people to tap into their emotions and use poetry as an outlet to explore how inequality has affected them. Bringing to light topics that are not afforded attention or spoken about due to the structural inequality of our society: mental health; racism; LGBTQIA+ rights; sexual consent and trauma.

We had such a great weather, great music and great energy from all that came to the gig on the plaza with live music by L.O.T.O.S, The Katuns, Gallo Rojo, Violet E Stevenson. Hosted by the talented Eunice Olumide

So far C.W.C members activities have included: fresh juicing, history walks, creative recycling, food preservation, creative writing, personalised henna, listening sessions, colour meditations, yoga, mindfulness and more...

On Sunday we had a talk by Dorothy Gould founder of rights-based group, Liberation, a grassroots organisation led by people with experience of mental distress/trauma.

On Saturday 30th July we opened our doors to everyone for the first time, it was a really fun and special day for all of us. A beautiful Saturday celebration, with a blessing of the space by C.W.C. members.

Click the menu and under 'Offerings' you will find 19 films all by C.W.C. members discussing what they would want a space of Community Wellbeing in Wester Hailes to hold. Filmed by Rachel McBrinn.

We are the Community Wellbeing Collective, a group of people from and connected to Wester Hailes working together to practise collective wellbeing and question how to create spaces that can hold these practises.

For nearly a year now we have been coming together twice a month around questions of who is wellbeing for. We carve out this time and connection from a structurally unjust world in order to imagine and move towards a more just world. Wester Hailes was built on foundations of inequality, people are often treated as disposable.