Author: Andrew

Posted on

EUCS funding appeal – CAN YOU HELP?

Dear Supporter

EUCS funding appeal – CAN YOU HELP?

For the first time since we relaunched the Canal Society, back in 2021/22, I’m writing with a direct appeal for some funding assistance.

We’ve collectively made great progress since that re-launch a few years ago:

  • The Boathouse site’s future has been secured, and we now have a formal ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’ with Scottish Canals covering ownership & usage of the wider site
  • We successfully resurrected boat-hires, as the community overwhelmingly wanted, and we’ve just started our 4th Season of hiring out our traditional rowing-boats … and they’re proving to be more popular than ever this year
  • Last November, we completed the “RIBA Stage 1” development process (RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects), which resulted in a fully-costed Feasibility Study being prepared for the future of the Boathouse site
  • And this March we held a first, successful community consultation event, on our emerging plans for the wider site

We’re thus now well prepared and ready to commence “RIBA Stage 2” of the development process, which could subsequently see us on the verge of being able to submit a formal planning-application early next year.

BUT – there’s always a but! – we now need to raise around £7,500 in match-funding, in order to allow us to unlock a few grant applications that will help ensure a smooth commencement of that “RIBA Stage 2” process… and ideally, we need to raise that amount as soon as feasible.

Can you help – any donation, no matter how small, would make a crucial difference in ensuring ongoing success for the Edinburgh Union Canal Society …

… there is a DONATE section on our website – here:

… or you can just go straight to our JUSTGIVING page – here:

… or you can make a Bank Transfer directly to our charity account – relevant details:

  • ACCOUNT NAME: Edinburgh Union Canal Society (SCIO)
  • ACCOUNT No.: 22952565
  • SORT CODE: 80-22-60

If you’re able, I do hope you might make a donation; but please don’t hesitate to get back to me if you would like any further information or clarification?

With many thanks for your ongoing interest in the Canal Society. 

Andrew

——————-

Andrew Burns

Chair – Edinburgh Union Canal Society

Posted on

EVENT: the “Flotilla of Lights” cake and information stall – afternoon/evening of Saturday 8th November 2025

We’ll be ‘live’ from 4pm; with the actual ‘Flotilla of Boats’ coming past Harrison Park around 6.30pm

Please do come along and join us for the annual, ever popular, Ronnie Rusack Flotilla of Lights event …

… we’ll be set up on the towpath, opposite the Ashley Terrace Boathouse, on Saturday 8th November 2025; and we’ll have a ‘Cake & Information Stall’, which will be ‘live’ from 4pm through to around 8pm that afternoon/evening. The Boathouse will also be ‘lit-up’ throughout the evening!

Hope to see you 🙂

Posted on

EVENT: EUCS Annual General Meeting (AGM); 2pm, Sunday 2nd November 2025

Our fourth EUCS Annual General Meeting, will take place at: 2pm, Sunday 2nd November 2025 at the Merchiston Tennis & Bowling Club, on Polwarth Terrace, EH11 1NA.

PLEASE DO come along to hear more about our activities throughout the past year, and our developing plans for the future. We’ll have our fourth ‘annual report’ to hand out; and there will be brief updates from some of the current Office-Bearers.

Following the formal business, which should only last around 30-minutes, there will be a:

  • PRESENTATION from the ‘DESIGN TEAM’
  • outlining the ‘DRAFT FEASABILITY STUDY’ for the Boathouse-site!

AND the bar will be open throughout, and up until 4pm, if you want to stay for a drink and a chat!

And if you’re interested in coming onto the EUCS Committee for 2026, then do let us know – we have several spaces to fill!

But if that doesn’t persuade you to make it in-person, then the meeting will also be available to view online, via TEAMS – see here:

————————————–

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 312 922 445 546 4

Passcode: CN7Wb294

————————————–

We do hope you can make it along – we promise the meeting will be interesting!

Posted on

EVENT: 2025 “end-of-season” for our Rowing Boats; Sunday 28th September

Sunday 28th September

To mark the end of the 2025 Rowing Boat Season, the Edinburgh Union Canal Society (EUCS) will be hosting an ‘end-of-season event’ on Sunday 28th September when our three traditional rowing-boats will be available for hire 🙂

On the end-of-season day, EUCS will also have “Information Tents/Stalls/Tea/Coffee/Cake & a Raffle (with great prizes!)“; all on the towpath, opposite the Ashley Terrace Boathouse; and additionally, we’ll also be hiring out our three rowing-boats! 

Some further details, including some requests for help, follow below:

  • We’ll be operational, opposite the Ashley Terrace Boathouse, between 12noon and 5pm … so please do come along on the day, if you can – as you’ll be able to find out more about our ongoing work and also sample some marvelous homemade cakes! Additionally, we’ll be holding a raffle with great prizes on offer, all helping to raise further funds for the Society!
  • Volunteers (and any home-baking) are also needed across the day – and any help between 10.30am through to 5.30pm on Sunday 28th September; even if for half-an-hour, would be great:

so; for Sunday 28th September 2025

  • 10.30am onwards; we’ll be on-site (opposite the Boathouse), setting up the tent/s – CAN YOU HELP, even if for half-an-hour? … we have new (easier to erect) gazebos, but any help would still be much appreciated!
  • 12noon; the stalls (within the tent/s) will be open – there will be information about EUCS; and a fundraising raffle will be taking place!
  • we’ll also be selling (very cheaply!) tea/coffee/cakes etc. – & COULD YOU HELP by providing any home-baking, even a small amount would assist (either bring it on the Sunday and/or pop it into 32 Cowan Road on the day before; Saturday 27th September)
  • and as mentioned, our three newly refurbished rowing-boats will also be ‘for hire’ at 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm; so we’ll need some helpers to Staff that process – all relevant instructions will be provided!
  • and at around 4.30pm on the Sunday we’ll be packing-up and taking down the tent/s etc.: again, any assistance with these tasks would be very welcome … it really is a great help just having one or two extra pairs of hands when getting the tents down 🙂

IMPORTANTLY – we’ll also be bagging-up all the homemade cakes from 6.30pm the night before, on Saturday 27th September 2025, at 32 Cowan Road … again, any help with this task would be much appreciated … please do just call round!

Posted on

Canal Festival: Saturday, 21st June 2025

We’re only a few days away from this year’s Edinburgh Canal Festival which takes place on Saturday 21st June 2025 … the Festival will stretch along the canal-side, from near Lochrin Basin, all the way to our own location at Ashley Terrace.

Our usual information, cake and hot drinks stalls will be set up on the towpath, opposite the Boathouse, and, additionally, we’ll be hiring out our three, refurbished rowing-boats which have proved very popular this season, since we re-launched them back in late-April. Further details about hiring our boats (on our regular Sunday-sessions) can be found here.

On Canal Festival day itself (Saturday 21st), we’ll have a total of 15 hire slots: 3 per hour at noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. All bookings will be done on a first come, first served basis. Why not come along and enjoy the area from what will be for many a new perspective, or for some may offer a chance to re-live an earlier experience of rowing on the canal many years ago?

We’ll also be holding a raffle, helping to raise further funds for the Society, with some great prizes on offer. 

We look forward to meeting friends old and new on the day. Hope you’ll pop by and say hello!