This sort of place always gets the seal of approval from me. Making money for the benefit of…read moreothers, 10/10! This shop is a bit different from your standard charity shop though, it's cooler, somewhat trendier and nicer! There's a pleasant atmosphere that makes charity shops cool. There's been a wave of this following the appearance of charity shops on a Channel 4 'Mary's' documentary, so it's refreshing to see it put in place. The staff are lovely, the clothes are good and it's an all round good experience.

I have a great deal of time for Bethany Christian Trust. I know a good few people who have been in…read moretheir care, and have come out changed people. As a result of this, I enjoy a visit to one of their shops. This one is on St John's Road in Costorphine, and as Emily says, feels that bit cooler than other charity shops I have visited. This place has more than your average charity shop. Apart from the normal selection of clothes, books and much more, there were also some bits of furniture and other household items. The overall quality of the items they had looked great, including the ubiquitous CDs from the 80s and 90s. If you're lost in the sea of charity shops, and can't pick between them, then go for Bethany. They do a really great work with people across the city, and I have seen this first hand. Quite often, the staff in their shops are people who have been in their care, and so you can see the support they have for the charity as well. Come on and support this great cause.

I've been living in Leith for over 6 years now and thought it was about time I checked out my local…read morecommunity centre! Leith Community Education Centre is based on the first floor of the Newkirkgate shopping centre, at the bottom of Leith Walk and is apparently one of the busiest community centres in Edinburgh. Approximately 3,000 people use the centre every week! It has a decent sized sports hall, a smaller hall, 4 general purpose rooms, crèche, public computers with free internet access, lending library and a wee café. They have loads of groups using the space from youth groups, literacy support, carers support, outreach teaching, help with stopping smoking and support for people with a learning disability, dance classes, drama groups, history groups, art classes, martial arts and children's movement classes. One group I notice on the poster board was 'Gleeith' the new community singing group in Leith! Brilliant! Not something I'll be joining with my crying cat voice, but I love the play of words! So I ventured there one snowy evening to try out a dance inspired class called 'Stretch and Tone'. You the enter the centre via the external steps and across a balcony, which could be tricky to find if you didn't know the area. The centre was fairly utilitarian looking (most community centres are) but there have designed quirky windows features into the modern scheme which adds a bit of interest to the building. The class was good, but sadly only 2 of us braved the snowy conditions, but I'm glad I did, I felt 2 inches taller after it! I picked up the centre brochure upon leaving so I may well return and check out some of the other classes they have available soon.

been coming here [member] for over 19 years. superb staff , a very good cafe, a bit worried about…read morewhat i read on leithsucks.net on there latest member of staff who is about to 'join the team' this centre caters for adult classes, bowls, art class, dancing. the full list is very long. there are also youth clubs-[ separate male / female.] and a satuarday special day when virtually all kinds of dancing [highland, tap, modern.] all for children. if you are a parent, you must get youself along to see everything that this centre can provide!

What a neat spot! This historical spot is rich with stories, but also has some of the most…read moredelicious ice cream I have ever had. Get your Scottish trinkets and grab a scoop of ice cream before you leave!

I don't get this place isn't listed as an ice cream establishment, because the ice cream here is…read morenext level great! Wow! Get the award winning double cream vanilla and the raspberry sorbet! So. Damn. Good!

WOW!!! I drove past…read morethis shop on my way to Inverness, and I had to park to go and have a closer look. It was so f***ing cool!! It is a charity shop for save the children, but completely unlike all the others I've been in before. I felt like I was in the gift shop of an art gallery, everything is kitsch and retro, and the colours are amazing. The whole shop is decorated brilliantly and it looks like something out of the movies. Upon further investigation, I found out that the shop is owned by TV retail advisor and Save the Children Ambassador, Mary Portas, and it is infact a designer charity shop. I didn't know you could get them! I plan to spend an awful lot more time in here.

In agreement with Emily, I did a swift double take when I saw this place!…read more Towering above its neighbours in a gorgeous old building, Mary's Living and Giving looks more like a pretty boutique than it does a charity shop. Essentially, it is - boasting secondhand designer clothing and accessories, it's got some chic and often retro offerings. So you can get a snazzy outfit for a dinner party at an absolute steal of a price! With its creaky, varnished floorboards and warm lighting, it feels as though you're in Monsoon rather than in a charity establishment. The pictures toward the back of the shop remind you of who you are helping, however, making finding a bargain in Mary's an ethical choice! Gok Wan would be all about it!

The British Heart Foundation charity store, located on a street full of charity shops, manages to…read morestand out because of its impressive window display of the latest items available in the store. This shop is literally packed with everything you can expect from DVDs to clothes to books and bric-a-brac. As with all charity shops it's ideal to browse, and best if you aren't looking for something particular or else have a vague idea of what you want (i.e a white t shirt for a dress up). The prices are not the lowest on the street but it's still worth a browse around and in both cases that I have been in here the staff have been super friendly!

I nipped in here for a wee browse last week and it really is crammed to bursting. Most charity…read moreshops only have a couple of second hands videos/DVD's but they literally have hundreds here all very well organised and easy to browse. To be fair, if you go to somewhere like Fopp or HMV you will probably get brand new ones for cheaper but I guess you're getting a reasonably cheap item plus you're giving to a good cause so if you're feeling in a giving mood maybe head here. They had a great selection of clothes and if you take the time to browse I'm sure there's lots of pretty items just waiting to be uncovered. They also have an extensive range of knick knacks and I had my eye on a candle holder shaped like an old flip flop, one of the funniest designs I've ever seen, I'm surprised the original owner could bear to part with it.

Great neighborhood center. Has helped people in my community for many years now and I support it…read morefully. Check out day classes and volunteering here!

This is another impressive Edinburgh charity shop. It's just round the corner from a large BHF…read morefurniture and electrical shop, and keeps things traditional. I primarily browsed the DVD section here, and was not disappointed. Charity shops are the ideal place for a great bargain. For example, whilst perusing the DVD shelves, I found 'Wanted' for the bargain price of £2.99. All of the stock on offer seemed of a good quality, and I was impressed with the selection of things on all fronts. As with all charity shops, you have to hunt around a bit, as they are not as meticulously organised as typical high street retailers. I may have to come back and do a more thorough check of their selection. Of course, the stock will change all the time, as is the case with charity shops. An unbelievable bargain is almost guaranteed.

I am a frequent visitor to this store. Its conveniently…read morelocated near Haymarket Station and the bus stops just outside (No.3,33,44,4,25.....) Inside it is quite roomy and what I like most is the book selection on the right side of the wall. It is massive. They are stocked in order and you can easily look by authors names. You can get old and new titled books, as well as DVDs and CDs. They also have a vast clothes collection and some children toys and games at the back. You can even find changing rooms and try on the garments in private. The staff is really friendly and the place is clean. Prices are fab and don't forget you support a Charity :-)

This is a well stocked charity shop with a good range of bric-a-brac and all for a good cause, of…read morecourse. I particularly like browsing through the book sections in charity shops and they had a whole section called "Old and Interesting" with some pretty old school books including old film reviews which I thought was pretty cool. The staff here are friendly and on my visit they were busy working away organising new stock onto the shelves. They also have a section with brand new items including gardening accessories such as cool watering cans and gloves. They also had a box of rubber ducks for £1.99 a pop.

This is possibly the cheapest of the central charity shops especially if you are looking for books…read more Even the best books which you won't find anywhere else for less than about £3 will be found here at £1.50 if you are lucky enough to stumble upon them. However, due to the cheapness of these items the stock moves fairly quickly so a one off visit is not always very successful. The bric-a-brac section is also very good with a selection of kitchen appliances usually available. These are very tempting at the prices and I did have to stop myself from buying a second kettle. All in this shop is cheap, but this does mean that the best items don't spend long in the shop.

I have been to a few events here and the Grassmarket Community Centre has a modern new building and…read morenice event spaces. I've been in the main hall for a wine reception event and the space worked equally well for that for 100 people and also for a seminar for 15 people. There is a cafe in the front of the building and I believe they do film screenings either in the main hall or another screening room. The location is easy to get to and the staff seemed friendly enough and accommodating to host various events. The lunch they served us was really nice with flavourful carrot soup, an assortment of sandwiches, and a tray of cut up fresh fruit that was nicely presented. The wifi also worked well and I had no complaints about the event space. #underdog #newonyelp

Grassmarket Community Project was the building we stopped in when we were on our guided tour of…read moreEdinburgh. Has a nice café and indoor/outdoor seating area with reasonable prices. Stop in for a cake, coffee, or just to relax and remember that your patronage goes back into helping the community.