Christmas lift appeal – keeping our home accessible
Update – We’ve reached our target of £13,421.75!
Thanks to the generosity of our community, supporters, partners and fundraisers, we successfully raised £13,421.75 to fund a new accessible lift at our historic Albany Street home.
Because of your support, our home is once again accessible to all.
Thank you!
Help keep our home accessible to all
For generations, our building on Albany Street has been the beating heart of the deaf community, and our home since 1889.
It has witnessed deaf couples sign “I do” in our Church, countless blethers in the garden tended by incredible volunteers, unforgettable late-night BSL karaoke in the Blackwood Bar, and quiet afternoons in the Brennan Library for book lovers and students alike.
This place holds history, stories, and community spirit in every corner. It is a welcoming space for everyone: deaf people, BSL learners, hearing parents of deaf children, friends, allies, and visitors from around the world.
Each year, we welcome thousands of people through our doors to learn, celebrate, connect, and belong.
Why we fundraised
We faced an urgent challenge.
Our external lift, essential for wheelchair users, older community members, and anyone unable to use the stairs, had broken beyond repair.
Being able to welcome everyone into our building is at the heart of our mission. Without a working lift, many people are excluded from the services, events, and community life that happen here every day.
We have secured planning permission from the City of Edinburgh Council and placed an order for a brand-new lift. The total cost is £13,421.75.
While we were determined to get this installed as quickly as possible, it is a significant expense we could not meet on our own.
Thanks to the generosity of our community and supporters, we were able to meet this cost in full and move forward with installing the new lift.
What your support achieved
Thanks to your donations, fundraising efforts, and event support, the Christmas Lift Appeal reached its target and made a lasting difference.
Your support has helped to:
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Restore step-free access to the entire building
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Ensure older and disabled people can continue to participate in community life
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Support thousands of visitors who pass through our doors each year
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Protect a vital cultural and community hub in the heart of Edinburgh
With special thanks to our supporters
Events
- Community Clubs Christmas Party – thank you to everyone who came along and who took part in the raffle, together raising over £500
- Edinburgh Christmas Running Festival – thank you to Terry the event organiser, and to the amazing fundraising efforts from Madison from our Youth Club and other runners who managed to raise over £500
- BSL Burns Week events – thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, donated, or attended one of our incredible events throughout the week.
- BSL Burns Supper – thank you to everyone who attended our annual BSL Burns Supper and took part in the silent auction. The whole Burns Week raised a whopping £2,193
A special thanks must go to Deaf History Scotland for their generous support, as well as:
- Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School for their bake sale
- The Late Gordon Grant’s in-memory fundraiser
- Bonnetmakers and Dyers of the Trades House Glasgow
- Albany Deaf Church
We would also like to say a big thank you to all of our raffle prize donors:
- Dunbar T-Shirt Shop
- Bonnie and Wild (St James Quarter)
- Delta Force Paintball Glasgow
- Bawbags Boxer Shorts & Underwear
- Holyrood Distillery
- Edinburgh Dungeons
- Toni & Guy Hairdressers Edinburgh
- Camera Obscura
- Cannongate Books
- Deaf Action’s Level 1 students
And finally, thank you to our Corporate Donors:
- EWS Financial Advisors
- Gallagher Insurance Brokers
- Ecclesiastical Insurance
- TSB’s Community Fund
- Lloyd and Whyte (British Dental Association charity nomination)
And of course, thank you to everyone of of who who donated via our JustGiving page or directly to Deaf Action. Your support has meant the world to us, and we are so grateful for your support and generosity.
Thank you to all the efforts of our donors and supporters, our historic Albany Street home is once again accessible to all!
Stay involved with Deaf Action
While the Christmas Lift Appeal has now ended, there are many ways you can support our communities. From bake sales, charity football matches and sponsored hikes, to running the Edinburgh and London marathons, there’s plenty of ways you get involved to help keep our community spaces open and accessible.
For more information about how you can get involved, visit our Fundraising pages.
