L'Arche in Edinburgh

In the vibrant areas of Leith and Restalrig, L’Arche Edinburgh first opened its doors in 1991. The community comprises three L'Arche houses where people with learning disabilities, and assistants, live and share life together. In addition, the community supports four people with learning disabilities to live in their own flats.

While we are excellent service providers, our enthusiasm for a life well lived doesn’t stop there. We are a community with a keenly felt passion to be a place of inclusion and welcome, and a place where everyone can grow to be the best they can be.

Within each of our houses you will discover an encouraging gentleness that arises from valuing one another. Daily rituals communicate this from the way we eat meals together to the way we remember each other’s birthdays and significant anniversaries. Beyond our houses and flats, a rich network of friendships sustain us, and when our entire community gathers we number over a hundred people. That’s a hundred people providing support, encouragement and a socially enriched context in which we share our lives with one another.

At the heart of L’Arche Edinburgh are sixteen core members, who live and work alongside around forty assistants; some who live in our community houses, others living locally.  

We provide the best support possible for all our core members, no matter their interests, needs, or stage of life. We raised over £1 million to be able to build and open David’s House, specifically designed for those with higher needs.

Over the years we have been lucky to welcome assistants from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. Sharing experiences and traditions from around the world has enriched the lives of those within the community, and we continue to seek assistants from near and far. 

We also continue to develop and strengthen our ties with the local community and our committed volunteers.