Thursday January 22nd 2026
Leith Chooses advertisement spotted in leith (photo by Leith Chooses).
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Leith Chooses voting day is this weekend, offering the public a unique chance to decide on how just over £44,000 of Edinburgh Council funding will be spent.
Leith Chooses is described as a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making, that essentially gives local people a choice in how the council authority spends a public budget in their area.
The vote dispenses grant funding to projects operating in the Leith Neighbourhood Network area, which roughly comprises the council wards of Leith Walk (ward 12) and Leith (ward 13), alongside three Leith Community Council areas.
Now in its 16th year, Leith Chooses (or known as ‘Leith Devices’ in its early days) was pioneered in 2010 by then Councillor Maggie Chapman and City of Edinburgh council officer Lorraine Duckworth, described then as the first example of ‘participatory budgeting’ in Scotland and amongst the first in the world.
Receiving 30 applications this year, the funding will consist of grants up to £5000 with local community organisations able to apply for £1000 or £3000 grants, or in some cases the maximum limit of £5000.
Encouraging local people to vote, Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Margaret Graham, explained that the council are ‘committed to ensuring that they have resources to bring ideas to life’, describing the capital’s communities as the lifeblood of the city.
With Edinburgh council funding on offer, the project is led by a steering group in conjunction with the council’s Community Empowerment and Engagement Team.
Councillor Margaret Graham added:
“People in the wider Leith area will be asked to decide how more than £44,000 of Council funding should be spent on projects that benefit their local community.
“Now in its 16th year Leith Chooses allows local community organisations to apply for grants of up to £1,000 or £3000. This year 30 applications have been received, and local people are being invited to vote on which projects they would most like to see receive the money.
“Leith Chooses continues to be extremely popular. It’s fantastic that so many worthwhile projects, all of which have made a difference to people, are given help in this way. I would encourage local people to find out more about the kinds of activities are happening on their doorstep and use their vote.”
Some of this year’s community projects include Water of Leith Conservation Trust, The Edinburgh Remakery and Teens+ (Capella Charity), alongside many more.
With the projects addressing this year’s theme of Wellbeing in Leith, the team behind Leith Chooses are encouraging locals, students and frequent visitors to Leith to vote for who they believe deserves a funding boost.
An in-person voting event will be hosted this Saturday (24 January) at Leith Community Centre from 12pm to 3pm. Online voting opens on 27 January and ends 10 February at https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/leithchooses2026/.
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