The Bethany Christian Trust is looking to raise £10,000 to support its winter shelter in Edinburgh
An urgent appeal has been raised to help the homeless in Edinburgh.
The Bethany Christian Trust is raising funds for beds in its emergency night shelter as part of the #SafeNightsSleep campaign which is aimed at providing a safe and warm night’s sleep to homeless people in Edinburgh.
The Winter Care Shelter’s new permanent location at Diadem, on Gorgie Road, ensures that Bethany is able to provide much improved facilities and a safe and warm night’s sleep to people who are faced with the crisis of rough sleeping. In an effort to improve the quality and standards for its guests, Bethany is appealing to the public to support its emergency street work.
Started in Edinburgh in 1996 with a two-week pilot over Christmas, Bethany’s Care Shelter has grown to 32 weeks in response to need and now is a lifeline for hundreds of homeless people who would otherwise be forced to sleep outside during the cold winter months. The service is run by a team of staff and relies on over 1,000 volunteers from churches across the Lothians; they cook and serve a nutritious, two course menu each night for the guests that is freshly prepared onsite.
So far, Bethany has received a donation of £5,500 from the Vardy Foundation, £1,500 from Allchurches Trust and £2,000 from Hobson Charity towards the beds and bedding; however, the charity is appealing for additional funds of £10,000 to meet its campaign target.
Cameron Black, group head of emergency and resettlement at Bethany Christian Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful for any donations which will go directly towards paying for raised comfortable beds and bedding for people using the Care Shelter.
“It is key that we are treating people with dignity and giving them a restful night’s sleep. We want people to have the best experience they can when using our Care Shelter and we work hard with them to help them take stock, access support and move on to a brighter situation.”
Established in 1983, Bethany Christian Trust supports over 7,000 people across Scotland. The charity’s services focus on Homelessness Prevention, Crisis Intervention and Housing with Support, alleviating the suffering and meeting the long term needs of people who are homeless in Scotland.
