JCI Edinburgh community and environment projects have two main aims: to benefit our members by providing them with professional experience at a level that they would not get in their workplaces.

JCI Edinburgh community and environment projects are more than just about raising money for charity, even although that is often a natural outcome of our work.

Barnardos Caern Project

This year our dedicated charity is Barnardos Caern Project and will will focus our fundraising efforts on this worthwhile cause.  The Caern Project (meaning “a little bit”) provides short-break, 24 hour residential care for children who have profound learning and physical disabilities. Each year, 35 families in Edinburgh are given specialist support at Caern House in Gogarbank to help them cope with the complex responsibilities of caring for a child with disabilities.  Following the success of the Burns Night fundraising, we held a Barnardos Big Quiz at the Edinburgh Sports Club on 17th June. Over 50 people took part and we made an amazing total of over £700 for the charity.  Many thanks to my team, Caroline, Mhairi, Mike, Pamela as well as our two fantastic quizmasters Brian and Andy who helped to make the night a very enjoyable and memorable one!

Water of Leith Clean-Up

On the 25th May 2010 we held a joint event with IEMA and 20 of us donned our wellies and helped to clean-up the Water of Leith near the Visitors Centre in Slateford.  At the end of the event we had managed to collect an impressive array of loot including scaffolding and a scooter, a steel door frame to a kettle box full of handcuffs (!?).   In her own words, the Water of Leith Conservation Trust Volunteer Coordinator was flabbergasted at the amount of junk we managed to collect! 

Glass Walk

On July 30th, following on from last years successful Fire Walk, we will be taking part in a Glass Walk at Edinburgh Zoo with funds raised being split between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Barnardos Caern Project.  

Some other Communities projects that our members get involved in are:

GrassMarket Mission

This allows our members to give something back and volunteer. Once a month a team ofJCI members would help out at Grassmarket Mission.  Members help with other volunteers to prepare and serve a three course meal to homeless people. The Grassmarket Mission is currently relocating  and we will be helping out again once they are fully established in their new location.

Regular Blood Donating

Donating blood is such an important act and saves lives. Due to our busy schedules donating blood often falls off our 'to do' lists. So putting a date in your diary to donate not only helps saves lives it takes the organising and finding out about where to go for you.

The website is updated with dates, times and venues of events coming up.  To find out more, or to get more involved contact our Community & Environmental Director, Simone Medonos at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .