WHALE Arts has been successful in its application to Creative Scotland for Multi-Year Funding for 2025-28. We will be joining the MYF Portfolio for the first time, which this time has seen 251 organisations across the country awarded funding.
WHALE Arts CEO Kate Griffin said:
We are extremely pleased and thankful that WHALE Arts has received multi-year funding from Creative Scotland to continue delivering our creative programme for our community. This support ensures that we can keep providing meaningful, inclusive, and inspiring opportunities for local people to connect, create, and thrive. With this investment, we look forward to deepening our impact, nurturing our artists and celebrating the creativity of our community.
Congratulations to our partners who also received funding! Starcatchers, Sistema Scotland Travelling Gallery, Art in Healthcare, Edinburgh Book Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Manipulate Arts, Push the Boat Out, Tortoise in a Nutshell, Theiya Arts and our Creative Community Hubs partners Craigmillar Now, North Edinburgh Arts and Lyra. Looking forward to more collaborations 2025-2028!
The Pod Café is a vibrant community café located within WHALE Arts, a community arts centre in the heart of Wester Hailes. After re-opening in August, we are now looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help us make the café a warm, welcoming space for everyone in the local area. As a café volunteer, you’ll be at the heart of our community space, helping to prepare food and hot drinks, and providing a welcoming experience for our customers. You’ll gain hands-on experience in customer service, food preparation, and barista skills, all while being part of a friendly and dedicated team.
The café is currently open every Tuesday from 10.30am to 2pm, with the shift giving time either side for set up and clear up. We are open and flexible for the role to be shared between different people who may want to split the shift or work alternative weeks.
Requirements:
A friendly and engaging personality with good communication skills.
Good time management and commitment to the role.
Being comfortable working with members of the public and being able to provide good customer service.
Interest in food and communities.
Complying with Health & Safety standards, strict hygiene procedures, and food safety laws (training will be provided).
Minimum age 16
Duties
Providing friendly and efficient service, including taking orders, processing payments, and serving food and drinks.
Assisting with food and drink preparation, including making coffees and other beverages.
Maintaining cleanliness in the café, including washing up, clearing tables, and general cleaning tasks.
Supporting with stock rotation and other kitchen-related tasks.
Training
Full training for this role and an induction into the organisation will be given.
Barista training.
Level 1 Food Hygiene Certificate training will be paid for by the organisation to fulfil the role.
This is a good opportunity to gain experience in the catering industry within a supportive environment.
Expenses
All volunteers are entitled to claim reasonably incurred travel expenses, whilst carrying out their role. Lunch is provided from the café.
Boundaries of Role: To work within WHALE Arts policies and procedure for GDPR and confidentiality.
To apply for the role or for further information please contact WHALE Arts:
Kate Griffin, CEO , centre, with Board Members Eunice Main and Allan McNaughton
WHALE Arts are delighted to announce the appointment of Kate Griffin as our new Chief Executive, replacing Leah Black, who leaves us in July 2024 after 6 years at WHALE.
Kate brings a wealth of experience and insight to the role, having held the posts of Interim Chief Executive since August 2022 and Head of Programmes prior to that. She has worked for more than twenty years across the creative sector, with a focus on national arts programmes and creative education.
Dr Andrew McNiven, Chair of Trustees, WHALE Arts
Kate’s expertise in the challenging and exciting field of community arts, her excellent interpersonal, management and strategic skills, and her deep understanding of Wester Hailes, allied to her ability to advocate for this community at regional and national level ,will, we feel sure, enable her to provide excellent opportunities for our participants and our community. On behalf of the WHALE Board, our members, participants and staff team, we wish her all the best in her new role.
We would like to thank Leah Black, our outgoing Chief Executive, for her excellent work as WHALE Chief Executive since 2018, and especially during the pandemic. WHALE Arts ability to adapt and work in supporting our communities during this difficult period was outstanding and widely recognised. We wish Leah good luck in her new exciting role leading Foundation Scotland’s Regenerative Futures Fund.
Kate Griffin, CEO, WHALE Artssaid:
I’m absolutely thrilled to be appointed as WHALE Arts’ CEO. I’m looking forward to working with the team, participants, members, volunteers and Board at WHALE Arts to continue our award-winning work as the creative heart of our community
