Homelessness group Emmaus is looking for support to fund greener vans.

Homelessness charity Emmaus Glasgow has launched an appeal for help to fund new energy-efficient vans.  

The majority of the charity’s income is generated in their social enterprise which sells donated furniture and household items. 

The vans are an essential part of the charity’s operations, collecting donations and delivering sold items to and from their Glasgow-based charity shops. 

Their current fleet of vans are aged between eight and 11 years old and do not meet the requirements to comply with the city’s Low Emission Zone - set to come into effect on June 1 2023. 

The charity could be facing a charge of £85 per day to be able to operate its services as normal.  

Richard Allwood, director of Emmaus Glasgow said: "Our vans are an essential part of our operation, enabling us to collect and deliver the items that we need to support our companions and run our shops. 

“We also run a weekly soup kitchen and the vans are crucial to transporting the food into the city centre to help Glasgow’s homeless and vulnerable community.” 

The charity has set up a GoFundMe page and is aiming to raise £20,000 to allow them to replace their current fleet of vans with a standard that complies with the Euro 6 emission standards. 

Emmaus Glasgow supports 24 formerly homeless people by giving them a home, meaningful work in a social enterprise and an opportunity to regain lost self-esteem to help rebuild their lives.   

Mr Allwood added: “Every donation, no matter how big or small, will make a real difference to our charity and the people we support."