Simon Community Scotland (SCS) figures show 38 people currently sleeping rough in Edinburgh each night
The charity handles over 500 requests for support at their Edinburgh hub each week
12 women are currently living in emergency accommodation
SCS urgently needs to raise £200,000 to help them provide safe places and support to people experiencing homelessness
Almost forty people could be sleeping rough across Edinburgh in the run up to Christmas according to Scotland’s largest provider of homeless support services, Simon Community Scotland (SCS).
The charity, known as Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland in Edinburgh, is currently responding to over 500 support requests per week at their Edinburgh Hub, which is open every day.
In Edinburgh, the charity is also supporting a dozen women who are experiencing homelessness by providing emergency accommodation. Around 30 people are currently in Simon Community Homes, and many more are supported through outreach services.
Simon Community’s emergency winter appeal ‘A Safe Place’ is aiming to raise £200,000 this year with funds directed straight to people being supported through their Holyrood Road Hub, SCS Homes, Streetreads Library, Outreach and Accommodation Services and Street Team.
Following the announcement that Edinburgh is now facing a housing emergency, and amid ongoing cost of living challenges, Simon Community Scotland has written an open letter to businesses around Edinburgh calling for support.
Lorraine McGrath, Chief Executive at Simon Community Scotland, said: “This week alone we are providing safe places and support to well over 500 people who find themselves homeless in Edinburgh. People who are tired, cold, on the streets or in temporary accommodation.
“The winter months are particularly hard and we’re doing all we can to help. But we need support from businesses across Edinburgh to allow us to keep people safe and supported this winter, through Christmas and beyond.
“We urgently need donations to our emergency winter appeal to cope with an increasing demand for our services. From employee fundraising, volunteering and charity partnerships, we’re keen to work with as many local businesses as possible.
“Scotland’s housing crisis is a problem which won’t be solved overnight. Our Street Teams and hub staff are on the frontline, delivering support to as many people as possible. We have seen an increase in the number of people sleeping rough and visiting our hubs. We urgently need support to help provide safe places and support and we promise that all donations will be put to immediate use.”
According to Scottish Government figures, Edinburgh saw an additional 723 homeless households between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
As of 31 March 2023, over 15,000 households were living in temporary accommodation in Scotland – 46% more than a decade before.
The specialist running retailer in Edinburgh has teamed up with well-known running sock brand, Balega to donate socks to the local homeless charity, Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland.
Throughout September, for every pair of socks sold by Up & Running, Balega will donate a pair to Streetwork, in a bid to provide warmth and comfort to those forced to sleep on the streets.
This is the fourth year that Up & Running and Balega have joined forces, which has seen the campaign donate a substantial number of socks to help homeless charities throughout the UK. The campaign also aims to raise awareness of homelessness and the fantastic work the charities do ahead of World Homeless Day on October 10th.
Talking about the campaign, Co-Managing Director for Up & Running, George Cunningham said, “We are happy to once again be supporting local homeless shelters and projects, and are grateful to customers, staff and Balega for the contributions to the sock donation.
“The issue of homelessness is heart-breaking and serious, and affects all communities. We hope that the sock donation will help in a small way to bring some comfort and dignity to those in need.”
Jon Dennis, UK Balega representative said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Up & Running again to deliver our homeless support campaign.
“Balega has a long tradition of supporting communities and charities and our partnership with Up & Running continues this tradition.”
If you would like to support the campaign please head down to Up & Running Edinburgh and purchase a pair of socks or visit www.upandrunning.co.uk
Streetwork, a service provided by Simon Community Scotland, has received £2,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
Streetwork has been offering care and guidance to those who are experiencing homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh for 25 years.
The charity provides expert advice and compassionate support, working to connect people to the services they need. The mission of the charity is to enable a life off the streets, showing dignity and respect to everyone.
The charity works with City of Edinburgh Council, so staff have direct links to accommodation that is available immediately. The charity also offers a 24-hour freephone line that provides information for anyone who needs it.
Amazon has made several donations to this charity in the past.
Commenting on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland provides a vital service for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh.
“We have supported the charity since 2017 and we’re pleased to give the staff and volunteers another boost with this donation to help them to continue the fantastic work that they do in our community.”
Murray Easton from Simon Community Scotland added: “We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with the team at Development Centre Scotland over the last few years and I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done.
“We are progressing with some very exciting projects in Edinburgh and this support will make a real difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness.”
Edinburgh Central MSP Angus Robertson said: “Streetwork and the work the Simon Community Scotland do is vital for helping tackle homelessness and connected issues in Scotland.
“I am pleased to see this donation from Amazon which will help provide crucial advice and care of those experiencing homelessness.”
Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world.
It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning.
Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.
Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with online STEM courses and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer. The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than four million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas around the UK.
For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click:
Edinburgh charities Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project have welcomed donations totalling £10,000 from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
Streetwork, a service provided by Simon Community Scotland, has been offering care and guidance to those who are experiencing homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh for 25 years.
The charity provides expert advice and compassionate support, working to connect people to the services they need. The mission of the charity is to enable a life off the streets, showing dignity and respect to everyone.
The charity works with City of Edinburgh Council, so staff have direct links to accommodation that is available immediately. The charity also offers a 24-hour freephone line that provides information for anyone who needs it.
Edinburgh Food Project operates eight foodbanks across the northwest, central and east of Edinburgh. The charity also offers a range of support to people including housing and benefits advice, a money advice service and a mental health and wellbeing project.
Edinburgh Food Project’s mission is to provide emergency support to people in crisis whilst also addressing the underlying causes of food poverty.
Commenting on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “We are pleased to support Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project with these donations.
“We understand how difficult the last year has been for people at risk of hunger and homelessness and these charities have gone above and beyond to support the Edinburgh community.”
Lorraine McGrath, Chief Executive, with Simon Community Scotland added: “We want to say a big thank you to the Amazon team for this donation. It means a lot to us to have this support at this time.
“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the community and the demand for our services have rocketed. This donation will give our staff and volunteers a boost so we can continue to help those experiencing the most extreme impacts of homelessness including rough sleeping in Edinburgh.”
Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central, said: “I welcome Amazon’s donation to Streetwork and Edinburgh Food Project, two important charities making a positive impact in the city.”
Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world.
It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning.
Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.
Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with free online STEM resources and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer.
The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than four million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas around the UK.
For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click here.
A LEADING homelessness charity is making a concerted effort to completely eliminate rough sleeping in Edinburgh, by providing bikes to its volunteer support teams, so they can see more people in any given period of time.
By Simon Community Scotland’s own estimations, rough sleeping in the capital is at an all-time low, and the charity is replicating a highly successful Street Cycles team model from its base in Glasgow to Edinburgh, after having recruited 12 volunteers to provide support to people at risk of, or currently, rough sleeping.
Help includes connecting people with services such as health and accommodation and providing basic essentials like food, clothing, telephones, sanitary products and, most importantly, showing that someone cares and that no-one should feel they are on their own.
The charity’s fundraising has allowed it to purchase eBikes and the move to add Edinburgh to the Glasgow bike service follows Simon Community Scotland chief executive, Lorraine McGrath, also becoming CEO of well-known Edinburgh homelessness charity, Streetwork.
The eBikes not only allow volunteers to see more people during any given time period but to extend their reach, beyond the city centre. The volunteers, who have all received dedicated training, come from a wide background, including health, law, corporate finance, education and retail.
Training includes the administration of opioid antidote, Naloxone, and also CPR.
The service is officially launching, today: Thursday March 4.
One of the volunteers is Jill Reilly. She first became involved with Streetwork during the COVID-19 lockdown, helping make meals in a hotel used in the city to accommodate people who were homeless.
Jill said: “The Naloxone training is a potential life-saver. But, more generally, getting to know people and to hear their stories, makes me realise why I got involved, as a volunteer, in the first place.
“I like walking, but I think I prefer cycling, and the bikes should allow me to see more people. The main thing, of course, is to help people find secure, if necessary supported, accommodation. When that happens, it feels like a real achievement.”
The charity is seeking to recruit more volunteers plus partners who can provide bike storage and maintenance facilities.
Hugh Hill, director of Services & Development at Simon Community Scotland, said: “Edinburgh has seen a dramatic fall in people rough sleeping in the city.
“Streetwork, along with key Third Sector partners and The City of Edinburgh Council, have worked throughout the pandemic, supporting people into safe accommodation.
“We are determined to see that no-one ever has to sleep on our cities’ streets. Our brand-new cycle outreach service is powered not just by electric motors but, cucially, by our volunteers working hand in glove with Streetwork’s existing street outreach team.”
People experiencing and at risk of homelessness battle extremely difficult circumstances every day and never more so than during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Research shows that if you’re rough sleeping in Scotland, your life expectancy is 47 years for a man and if you’re a woman, this decreases to 43 years.
The family of Arthur Williams are therefore well aware of how much of a miracle it is that, despite living on the streets of Leith for almost 30 years, he somehow managed to defy these odds.
Next month he will be 83 and he is currently living out his days with dignity and respect and being lovingly looked after in a care home. However, it took years of support and interventions to eventually get him to this point.
It also took years of tolerance, kindness and generosity from countless local businesses and good hearted Leith locals to keep him safe and alive for all those years sleeping rough.
It is for this reason that the family of Arthur Williams, on his behalf, want to give something back to the community of Leith, to say thank you for the years of support from the everyday people and good Samaritans who showed him enormous kindness.
It is hoped that this mural by the incredibly talented local artist Shona Hardie (shonahardie.com) will honour his legacy and bring some much needed cheer, in these dark days, to the people of Leith and to all who see it.
We are delighted and extremely honoured that Shona Hardie was willing to be involved and are touched at how committed she was to making this happen.
In addition we are grateful to Vue Art (vueart.co.uk) who collaborated with Shona Hardie to incorporate the homeless/mental health signposting artwork on the utility box situated below the mural.
We also want to thank Casa Amiga (casaamiga.co.uk) for granting permission to site the mural on the side of their premises on the most aptly named street – ‘Arthur Street’.
Throughout his life on the streets, Arthur Williams was known to Social Services, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland and was supported by them and the local homeless charity Streetwork (streetwork.org.uk) which is part of Simon Community Scotland (simonscotland.org).
It is hoped that this mural will serve as a reminder of the plight of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness and that the homeless/mental health signposting may be of use to anyone out there who needs it.
If you wish to make a donation to Streetwork, no matter how large or small, it will help make a difference through the work they deliver:
£1 pays for a warm drink a in safe place off the street
£5 pays for someone to have a hot shower and access to laundry.
£10 helps someone to become more employable – to find a route off the street.
£30 pays for a sleeping bag when all options for the night are exhausted.
£50 per month helps our outreach team reach and speak to vulnerable people on the street.
£150 provides ongoing support to someone in a situation of crisis, including access to health services.
We know that people can and do recover from homelessness. Individual support, linking people into the services they need and, above all, human kindness make a huge difference. Every day we are astounded by the resilience and tenacity of people to survive and find their way to a more positive future. Arthur Williams is a perfect example of this and embodies the motto of Leith – “Persevere”.
Jan Williamson, Assistant Director for Streetwork said, “We are so grateful to Arthur and his family for arranging this mural for the community of Leith, and for raising awareness of homelessness and mental health.
“The team at Streetwork were honoured to know Arthur and to have been part of his remarkable story, he is a real gentleman and a true Leith legend and this mural is a fitting tribute to him.”
Ben Macpherson MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith said: “This stunning mural is a really uplifting tribute to Arthur, who I know is doing well in his new home. The widespread positive response that the painting’s received already is testament to how much Arthur is loved by the community in Leith and beyond.
“It’s also testament to Shona Hardie’s magnificent artwork. What’s more, the generous donations that are being made to the family’s fundraising campaign, for Streetwork, emphasise that people want to help those in need where they can, like local people in Leith supported Arthur over the years, and our shared commitment and determination to tackle and prevent homelessness.”
A new Welcome Centre has opened its doors for the winter season, providing warm food and sleeping facilities, immediate housing advice and wellbeing support to anyone facing rough sleeping.
Edinburgh co-ordinates support for rough sleepers this winter at new Rapid Re-accommodation Welcome Centre
Meals and a safe place to stay with social distancing in place
Multiple partner agencies working together to provide health, housing and advocacy support
Responding to the ongoing public health emergency with accommodation where social distancing and self-isolation can be practiced safely, the Welcome Centre shelter will provide up to 65 self-contained rooms every night until 3 May 2021.
It is being provided thanks to dedicated funding and support from the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government, plus anticipated charitable donations to Bethany Christian Trust including financial support from Social Bite.
A team of Council, public health, private and third sector workers will build on work which has taken place this year to tackle rough sleeping and move households from shared temporary accommodation like B&Bs into self-contained places to live. Edinburgh’s street-based outreach services, provided by StreetWork, will also help to identify individuals at risk during the colder months.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Councillor Kate Campbell said: “Throughout this pandemic our priority has been making sure no one has to sleep rough and that we have good quality accommodation available for anyone who needs it.
“This means working together as a city and it’s welcome that the Council, the Scottish Government and third sector partners are doing just that. It’s emblematic of how we’ve been working since March, and shows how much we can achieve when we work together.
“The Welcome Centre is a place where urgent help can be provided immediately, but beyond that critical point, partners will be on hand to provide coordinated health and housing support and help people take steps to resolve their homelessness over the longer term.
“We know from the work we’ve done already that building trust immediately and taking services to people who need them, rather than asking them to come to us to ask for help, has a positive, lasting impact. It’s incredibly important in building relationships that are helping people to move on from rough sleeping.
“All steps are being taken to protect against Covid-19 and I want to pass my thanks to Bethany, the incredible efforts of our housing officers and our partners for working together on this.
“Just last month we put a five-year plan in place to further strengthen our support and we remain committed to doing all that we can to prevent and tackle homelessness. The lessons learned during the pandemic will be embedded long term so that we are taking every possible action to end rough sleeping in our city.”
Vice Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Councillor Mandy Watt said: “We remain in a public health emergency so we need to take unprecedented steps to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can. We’re aiming to strengthen our support across all of our homelessness services and know this centre will be an important refuge for people who might otherwise sleep rough.
“A person facing a night on the streets during winter is already in a very vulnerable situation, but this is heightened by the pandemic. By opening this new welcome centre in an easily accessible venue where social distancing and self-isolation can more easily be practiced, we’re aiming to drastically reduce the risk of ill health to people in this position – and prevent the virus spreading throughout communities – at a time when the NHS will be under immense pressure.”
Edinburgh’s Bethany-run shelter ran from Church Halls last winter and the Old Waverley Hotel on Princes Street at the height of lockdown, benefitting 1,112 people. This year the centre will run from the Haymarket Hub Hotel located opposite Haymarket train station.
Alasdair Bennett, Chief Executive of Bethany Christian Trust, said: “We have a vision of ending homelessness in Scotland and over the years we have supported and prevented thousands of people from sleeping rough in Edinburgh with multi-agency support, health interventions, accommodation options and practical support, whilst also providing overnight shelter.
“The new Rapid Re-accommodation Welcome Centre will continue to rapidly re-accommodate people safely from the streets with multi-disciplinary interventions on-site, and we will still provide bed spaces for anyone that cannot access any alternative that night and for whom the Welcome Centre is a last resort.”
Scotland’s Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “I am clear that no one should be sleeping rough. Having the right support in place to ensure this isn’t the case is even more important during the harsher winter months and during the current pandemic.
“I am pleased we have been able to help fund this Rapid Rehousing Welcome Centre which provides accommodation and a support service, offering an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless.
“The pandemic has not changed our unwavering commitment to end homelessness, having allocated £32.5 million to support prioritising settled housing for all, and initiatives likes this are essential to protecting lives.”
Josh Littlejohn, Co-Founder of Social Bite, said: “Throughout the pandemic we’ve been committed to providing help and support to those who need it most and as we move into the winter months, it’s vital that this support continues, giving those who need it a warm, safe place to sleep at night.
“The Haymarket Hub allows ample space for social distancing measures to be followed and will be a huge support to the most vulnerable in our society as we all continue to navigate through these unsure and challenging times.
“We’re proud to have worked together with partner organisations to support this potentially life-saving project and help further tackle homelessness in the city.”
The Council’s Homelessness and Housing Support team is also available to help anyone in crisis on 0131 529 7125 (8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 3.40pm on Fridays).
A charity that provides support for homeless people in Edinburgh has received a £2,000 donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
Streetwork has been offering care and guidance to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh for almost 30 years. The charity provides expert advice and compassionate support, working to connect people to the services they need. The mission of the charity is to enable a life off the streets, showing dignity and respect to everyone.
The capacity of Streetwork in Edinburgh is expanded by being part of Simon Community Scotland. Simon Community Scotland works to combat the causes and effects of homelessness, with a vision that everyone should have a safe place to live and access to the support they need.
Amazon has been a supporter of Streetwork since 2017, having previously donated £1,000 towards the purchase of heavy-duty sleeping bags for those who had nowhere to live. Earlier this year, the team from Amazon Development Centre Scotland hosted an International Food Day event and raised a further £500 for the charity.
Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “It is our pleasure to continue our support of Streetwork in Edinburgh.
“We know that those who are homeless are at greater risk during COVID-19 than ever before and want to ensure any individuals who need help have somewhere to find it. Streetwork is an excellent charity, doing great work, and we can’t thank them enough.”
Jan Williamson, Assistant Director from Streetwork added: “Like many charities, our resources have been stretched as we respond to COVID-19, so we are very grateful to receive this donation from the Amazon team.
“We strive to show people on the streets that they are cared for and supported, and we cannot do this without the help of the entire community. Thank you, David and the Amazon team, for continuing to support our work.”
Edinburgh Central MSP, Rt Hon Ruth Davidson commented: “Streetwork does amazing and important work across Edinburgh – work that has never been more important than at this time.
“I welcome this donation from the Amazon Development Centre, which will allow the Streetwork team to help more of our city’s vulnerable and homeless.”
Amazon Development Centre Scotland is responsible for innovations used around the world by the company, including machine learning to power Amazon’s smart features like personalised recommendations.
Streetwork received the donation as part of the “Amazon in the Community” programme, whereby the company supports the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
Community donations is one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.
