Forest Café, ReForestation

What Happened to Bristo Place?

In October 2010, Edinburgh University Settlement, who owned the building that The Forest occupied at 3 Bristo Place, were declared bankrupt and forced into administration. The administrators put the property on the market and terminated the Forest’s lease, giving us six months notice. We left on Wednesday 31 August 2011. The building has since been sold to a new owner, and we have heard that it is being refurbished as a restaurant and arts venue.

Where is Forest Now?

Forest is now at 141 Lauriston Place, Tollcross, Edinburgh. This is a new small café and performance space. There are drinks and food and you can book an event there. The space is growing all the time, organically, thanks as always to the time and love of people coming to make things happen.

We’ve also opened a new space in Argyle House on Lady Lawson St. It’s an old ex-office block, which we’re turning into artists’ studios, offices, workshop and rehearsal space, and just about anything else you can use a building for. Find out more at dss.theforest.

What Happened to the Fundraising?

Hundreds of people donated to our campaign to buy back Bristo Place. Thousands showed their support. We stuffed you all with love and burritos. And the money is safe. We said, while we were raising funds, that if we couldn’t buy back our old home then those donations would go towards buying an equally brilliant space. So it’s waiting there, safe, for buying a building in the future. Our current spaces are rental, so in the future we plan to birth a building of our very own.

How Can I Support Forest?

The best way to suppport the Forest is to donate your time. You can volunteer for a shift in the café, run a workshop, produce an event, become part of the crew that makes it all happen. Forest is just the people who do stuff there.

You can also support us financially. We’re a registered charity with an amazing record in running arts projects. And if we’re going to succceed in buying a building in the future, we will need your help. The best way to donate to us is to set up a monthly standing order to support the Forest via JustGiving. Think of it as buying Forest a monthly pint (£3), or a bottle of cheerful wine (£5), or a family size takeaway pizza (£10). Give what you can afford, and know that it’s the most effective possible way of supporting Forest: it gives as a safe income, which makes us more able to do the stuff you love us for doing, and which puts us in a much stronger position for approaching other funders. And if you just don’t feel you can make a regular commitment, then you can still make a one-off donation to The Forest.

Press About the Forest

Ryan Van Winkle, Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and Edinburgh City Libraries: Buy A Building, Save A Forest

“In an increasingly commercial, logo, corporate, bland, safe, disney-fied world The Forest is an anomaly and a beacon. A flag-ship social enterprise.”

Claire Askew of One Night Stanzas: Help Save The Forest Cafe!

“If you donate to the Forest you’re helping hundreds of artists and creatives, and you’re making a stand for independent arts organisations the world over.”

Rupert Thomson in The Scotsman: Saving two key Edinburgh arts venues: An open letter to Creative Scotland

“I can’t think of anywhere that would match the Forest for volume and diversity of presentations over the ten years it has been running. These places are, literally, where it’s happening.”

The Guardian Edinburgh:

Fourth Wall Magazine: Save The Forest Café!