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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Winter shelter gets set to save more lives

This news post is over 5 years old
 

The shelter saves lives and offers support for those with chaotic lives

A care organisation has been credited for saving a homeless man’s life.

Bethany’s Winter Care Shelter in Edinburgh offers emergency accommodation to those living on the capital’s streets.

Paul, who had been homeless for a number of months, is backing the facility after it helped him off the streets and get help for addiction.

Now living at Bethany Christian Centre, a specialised addiction recovery project for homeless men, run by Bethany Christian Trust, he said: “I really felt a sense of being valued when I stayed at the Care Shelter.

“I owe Bethany my life. Without the Care Shelter and Bethany Christian Centre I would most likely be dead by now. In 2019 I will be looking for a house of my own and am looking forward to the future for the first time in a long time.

“My health is stable and my life has structure, purpose and meaning. My confidence is back.”

Started in Edinburgh in 1996 with a 2-week pilot over Christmas, the Care Shelter has grown over the years to span seven and a half months over the winter, from September until May. The service is run by a small team of staff and relies on around 1,000 volunteers from churches across the Lothians.

They provide church venues for people who are homeless to sleep in on a nightly rota basis as well as providing and serving a hot meal. The service is funded by the voluntary donations of trusts and foundations, individuals and communities, as well as receiving funds from Bethany’s ‘Buy a Bed’ campaign, which asks supporters to purchase a gift to fund a bed at the Winter Care Shelter.

For every £21 voucher purchased, the Edinburgh Care Shelter provides a person who would otherwise be sleeping rough, homeless on the streets.

If you would like to support Bethany’s ‘Buy a Bed’ campaign you can purchase a Care Shelter Gift and help save a life this winter.