Helping homeless and lonely people over the festive period
People who are homeless or unable to spend Christmas with family and friends are being welcomed to Rutherglen Library.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop visited the library in South Lanarkshire as staff prepared to open for a festive film screening to bring people together.
They are volunteering their time from 11am – 2pm for those who want to see a friendly face on December 25 – including people dealing with homelessness and social isolation.
Ahead of the Christmas opening, Ms Hyslop met 62-year-old Elaine Tait who visits the library three times a day to use the WiFi or meet up with friends. She revealed how the two days the library previously closed over the festive season felt like a “very long time”.
Ms Hyslop said: “Rutherglen Library fulfils a need in the community, and this does not go away during the festive period. I commend staff who are willing to take time out of their holiday to make this Christmas a happy one for others.
“Libraries are at the heart of our communities, welcoming people in and serving a wider social purpose. The Scottish Government places great importance on them to empower, to tackle inequality, and to reduce isolation.
“The library is now seen as the community ‘living room’ of the modern town.”
Leader of South Lanarkshire Council, Councillor John Ross, said: “I have to pay tremendous credit to the staff, who give up their own time to ensure people are not isolated over the Christmas period.
“This will be the second time they have opened on Christmas Day, and I know last year more than 40 people visited.
“Everyone is welcome, you don’t need to let anyone know your reason for coming along other than to share a community experience with other people on a day which can be very lonely for some individuals.”
All over Scotland, organisations are opening on Christmas Day to offer food, warmth and companionship. See below for details:
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