Our History

2015
Following extensive community engagement and consultation, Wester Hailes Community Trust (WHCT) was established as a collaborative anchor organisation. The Trust was created to support local people to take action in response to shared and agreed community priorities.

2016
WHCT was formally registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

2017–2020
The Trust received an STV Children’s Appeal Award for three consecutive years. This funding enabled WHCT to support local groups and individuals to make positive changes in their community through a Community Grant Scheme and the delivery of targeted projects.

2020
WHCT was funded by the City of Edinburgh Council to lead large-scale design consultations for a redesigned Westside Plaza Civic Square.

In the same year, a partnership of community-based and community-led organisations — Wester Hailes Community Trust, WHALE Arts and Prospect Community Housing — alongside a wider network of local organisations, worked with Ian Gilzean, Chief Architect to the Scottish Government, to develop the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan (LPP) 1.0.

This work was funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, with Ian Gilzean seconded from the Scottish Government. A dedicated Local Place Plan resource space was created at WHALE Arts to support the process, culminating in a Community Conference held in February 2020, where LPP 1.0 was presented to local residents and organisations. The report was published in May 2020.

2021
In November, WHCT secured a Place Based Investment Grant from the City of Edinburgh Council to complete the Local Place Plan and use it as a catalyst for shaping the next 20+ years of change in Wester Hailes. The Trust appointed UrbanPioneers (landscape architects and lead designers), working in collaboration with Dress for the Weather (architects), to develop Local Place Plan 2.0.

2022
In October, the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan 2.0 was formally submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council.

2023
In May, the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan was officially registered by the City of Edinburgh Council, making it the first registered Local Place Plan in Scotland.

2024
A shipping container was installed on Westside Plaza Civic Square to serve as a community hub-The Westside Shed, supporting a local tool library, bike library, and a range of community-led activities.

How We’re Run

The Wester Hailes Community Trust is a collaborative community body supporting local-led decision making and development in the South West Edinburgh neighbourhood Wester Hailes. The Trust is led by and accountable to its local membership which consists of members and Trustees that hold board meetings on a regular basis. Members share their ideas for Wester Hailes and vote on what ideas get put into action. 

Our Constitution: PDF Link

Wester Hailes Community Trust is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) SC046486