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  • L'Arche in Edinburgh
  1. About us
  2. L'Arche in Edinburgh

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. 

Published: 7th November, 2017

Updated: 15th April, 2019

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  • L'Arche in Edinburgh

    L'Arche in Edinburgh

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  • What is L'Arche

    What is L'Arche

    At L’Arche Edinburgh we celebrate people with learning disabilities and build circles of support around them. We go beyond basic needs to attend to people’s emotional and spiritual lives.

  • Why volunteer

    Why volunteer

    We are always interested in welcoming people who want to participate in the life of the community.

  • Contact us

  • Shared living

    Shared living

    We have three houses in the Leith and Restalrig areas of Edinburgh where people with learning disabilities and assistants live together.

  • Join us as an assistant

    Join us as an assistant

    Spend a year as an assistant at L'Arche Edinburgh and we will give you an experience of difference that will change your life.

  • Community life

    Community life

    What makes L’Arche different is the attention we pay to building relationships and creating a sense of belonging within our Communities.

  • Independent Living

    Independent Living

    Four of our core members live in their own flats in Leith, with a team of assistants providing visiting and sleepover support to meet each person’s individual needs.

  • Tom's story

    Tom's story

  • History of L'Arche

    History of L'Arche

    L'Arche was founded in France in 1964. Today L’Arche is present in thirty-eight countries on five continents, with one hundred and fifty-three communities, eleven of which are in the United Kingdom.

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Photo credit: L'Arche/Martin Albermann
L'Arche is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, No. 1055041.
L'Arche is registered as a charity in England and Wales, No. 264166, and in Scotland, No. SC038493.
Registered Office: 10 Briggate, Silsden, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD20 9JT