The Pitt has launched a new crowdfunder to support their ambitious development of a social, community and grassroots space on West Shore Road, Granton. Aiming to raise £50,000, the crowdfunder will facilitate a year-round indoor market, a permanent outdoor street food market, a coffee shop, a bar and a 700-capacity event space hosting a regular programme of events, as well as providing space for the local community to collaborate and socialise. Donate to the Crowdfunder here. 

While it was originally a food market on Pitt Street in Edinburgh, The Pitt has reestablished itself as a not-for-profit community interest company and taken over a former industrial unit as part of the Granton Project regeneration development. 

Every individual donation up to £250 will be matched 1:1 by the Aviva Community Fund, with up to £25,000 committed to the project by them. The funds raised will create fully equipped enterprise units for use by street food traders, artists, and retail entrepreneurs to kick-start their businesses or ideas. Rewards for donations include food and drink vouchers, pay it forward vouchers and the opportunity to become a ‘local legend’. 

Hal Prescot, one of the original founders of The Pitt, said, ‘Granton has everything the original Pitt had but as a not-for-profit community interest company we’re here to benefit and contribute to the local community. We’ve spent time getting to know our new community and have spoken with locals and groups to properly understand what matters to them and what they need from this space. 

‘We appreciate the scale of our ambition, and we are acutely aware of what we are asking from this crowdfunder, especially given the cost-of-living crisis. But having already raised the majority of the £600,000 required from First Port and Foundation Scotland, this is the final piece of the puzzle, and so we’re delighted to have secured Aviva Community Funding, but to secure it all we need to raise at least £25,000 ourselves. The resurrected Pitt will go far beyond what our original site achieved.'

Ryan McGlone, Youth Work Team Leader at Granton Youth, said, ‘Our young people are so excited that The Pitt is coming to Granton, we need a bigger space so can’t wait for it to be open and available for us to use. It’s been really exciting to be involved early on with the plans, working with the team driving the project forward, and we’re especially excited about the mural we’ve been codesigning for the indoor market wall. The Pitt is going to be such a positive addition to the local community and for us at Granton Youth.'

Find more details on The Pitt's crowdfunder here.