Our Vision
The Citadel is a small, independent charity that has been at the heart of the Leith community for over four decades. Our charitable aims are to provide social, educational and recreational opportunities for children, young people and their families, with a focus on those who are experiencing poverty or other forms of disadvantage. We do this through open access evening youth clubs for all ages from 6 to 18, and 1:1 support for children and young people who are referred to us as experiencing difficulties at school, at home or in the community. Over 200 children and young people attend our clubs annually. And we always have room for one more!
Who we support
We’re here for all of Leith. We’re here for…
Children & Young People
Clubs and activities for anyone in Leith from 6 to 21 year olds.
Families
We work with families and young mums, within schools, at home or at the Citadel.
Professionals
Partnering with social and education institutions to provide training and targeted support in the community.
REGULAR ACTIVITIES
Youth clubs and family activities every week
There’s always something for everyone at the Citadel. From fun games nights to trips to the beach and tasty cooking lessons, we cover every aspect of that little thing called life.
How we work
For us, it’s always been all about Leith.
And what’s more Leith than being sound, and helping each other out?
As most of the young people who come to the Citadel are from low income families, we made all our clubs free! And for things such as trips or events we fundraise, never charging young people or their families.
And because Leith’s spirit is bigger than the EH6 postcode, we have become the employability hub for school leavers from Broughton HS, Trinity Academy, Drummond CHS and Leith Academy. Likewise, our Young Mums and Babies group is the only service of its kind in the North East locality and draws members from Craigmillar .
In recent years, all our projects have seen increased demand for supporting children, young people and families with a range of needs, particularly:
- Poverty – our Families Project provides free food and fuel vouchers for families, as well as applying for crisis grants to help with essential household costs. Demand has increased substantially since the cost of living crisis.
- Mental Health – the mental health of young people and parents & carers declined as a result of Covid, leading to lower school attendance and increased social isolation. Our Mental Health and Wellbeing project was set up to respond to this.
- Unemployment – our Careers Café is now seeing a generation of young people whose education and social development were disrupted by Covid, and who are lacking the confidence and core skills needed to move forward in their journey. Our Citadel Connect project has been designed to meet this need.
Getting in touch
We’re always keen for a cuppa and a chat.
Where to find us
Next door to Tiso.
Ask a question
Anything you want to know, just shout.
Self-referral
If you are a professional looking to refer a child, young person or family to The Citadel just contact us, we’re always happy to help!
ACCOUNTABILITY
Look back at our recent annual reports
At the Citadel, we take accountability seriously! As a charity, we are committed to using every donation and grant responsibly, making sure everything we get goes directly to supporting children, young people and families in our community. We are transparent about how money is spent, we measure the impact of our programmes, and we regularly report to our trustees, funders and supporters. This ensures the Citadel remains a trusted, reliable place where resources are managed with care and integrity.