"Being recognised for the work you do, being invited and being able to wear a kilt with other people in smart dress, felt wonderful"

People who help run a homelessness charity’s soup kitchen – some of whom have been homeless themselves – received a royal invite to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in recognition of their help for people in need.

Barry and Michael, who are supported by charity Emmaus Glasgow, attended the Garden Party on 1 July alongside outreach volunteer of more than 20 years, Jean Denton, and the charity’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Allwood.

Emmaus Glasgow provides a home, support, training and work opportunities for people with experience of homelessness.

The charity also runs a soup kitchen of hot and cold food and drinks every Wednesday and every other Sunday, supporting people with essentials on Cadogan Street in the city centre.

Emmaus Glasgow’s soup kitchen service is entirely run by the charity and its volunteers.

Scotland recorded 40,685 homelessness applications for 2023 to 2024, with Glasgow reporting an increase of 15%. The rate of adults assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness in the city was more than 40% higher than the national average.  

Emmaus Glasgow resident Barry was evicted from his home after a benefits error saw him mistakenly plunged thousands of pounds into debt. Barry now has a home and support from Emmaus Glasgow to help rebuild and move into everyday living.

Barry said: “Helping the soup kitchen is important to me because it makes me feel more directly involved. I get food for Emmaus Glasgow’s soup kitchen by picking up meals from businesses.

“I’ve only ever seen King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne on TV, so to be 10ft away from them was quite an experience. Being recognised for the work you do, being invited and being able to wear a kilt with other people in smart dress, felt wonderful.

“When I came to Emmaus Glasgow, I had never been homeless before. I was 61 years old, and it was my first time homeless. What I want to say to people is, don’t be afraid, it’s not a big bad world. It's nice at Emmaus.”

Chief executive of Emmaus Glasgow, Richard Allwood, said: “Thank you to everyone at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for inviting homelessness charity Emmaus Glasgow to meet the royals.

“It was extra special for people supported here and our volunteers because it recognised the effort put in by our soup kitchen team, some of whom have experienced homelessness themselves.

“Emmaus Glasgow works hard with limited resources to provide individualised support, training and work opportunities to help our residents build back every day.”

To find out more about Emmaus Glasgow, its shops and services, and its soup kitchen, you can visit https://emmaus.org.uk/glasgow