With more than 30,000 people currently homeless, and many more at risk due to the cost of living crisis and a devastating housing shortage, the demand for our services is higher than ever.
“I had nobody. I didn’t see my Mum or sister. I was on my own in a cheap hotel room. Simon Community mean everything to me. The hub was open every day. Support was there every day. Safety was there every day.”
At Simon Community Scotland, we are on the frontlines of this emergency. Every day, we witness the profound impact that homelessness has on individuals: from those forced to survive on the streets in pouring rain or freezing temperatures to people stuck for months or even years in temporary accommodation that offers no real stability or security. We are doing everything we can, but we need your help to continue.
Imagine having nowhere to turn—no home to call your own, no place to feel safe. Living on the streets takes a toll on both mental and physical health, and it’s becoming harder to find safe places where people can rebuild their lives. But together, we can change this.
We support over 10,000 people each year through our street teams, helplines, supported accommodation services, and more. Every person we meet is treated with compassion, care, and the understanding that everyone deserves a chance to feel safe and hopeful again. But we can’t do it alone.
We are aiming to raise £200,000 to continue providing vital support to those in need. Your donations will go directly to ensuring safe places for people to stay, providing emergency essentials like warm clothes, food, and toiletries, and keeping life-changing safe places like our Women’s Connect Hub available.
Here’s how your donation can make a difference:
£10 allows us to provide emergency essentials like food, toiletries and clean underwear, to people who are rough sleeping or in temporary accommodation.
£25 can create an emergency welcome pack for someone arriving at one of our safe places.
£30 would allow us to create a Christmas pack for someone we are supporting; including a hat, scarf, gloves, underwear, toiletries and a selection box. This could be the only Christmas gift that someone gets this year
£50 can give someone vital winter essentials to keep them warm and safe in freezing conditions.
£70 can provide a hot meal, dry clothes, and a safe night’s accommodation for someone in need.
£500 can fund a peer support group, offering a vital safe place for connection and care.
£1,000 can provide a "moving in pack" to turn an empty house into a home with basic essentials like a fridge, sofa, and TV.
£5,000 would sponsor the the running and development costs of our Connect Hub for women experiencing homelessness. Providing practical, emotional and psychological support.
This is an emergency—we need your help now more than ever to keep people safe and give them the hope and dignity they deserve. Every donation, no matter the size, can be life-changing. Together, we can make a real, lasting difference. Lorraine McGrath CEP
Please donate today and help us create safe places for those who need them most.
THANK YOU
Lorraine McGrath, CEO
“I’m living in a cheap hotel with no cooking facilities and nowhere to wash my clothes. We See You at Simon Community Scotland’s Hub is a safe place for me to connect and get help. A cuppa, a sandwich, a blether. I have nothing else, no-one else. Here it feels like I have hope.” S, female, 30’s
“When the door opens and someone says ‘How are you? Come on in.’ It’s like a huge relief. Like I can breath again.” Anonymous, visits our Connect Hub for women experiencing homelessness
“The difference is the connections. The relationships. The trust. Going to the We See You group gives me structure and purpose. There’s the support from staff and from others going through a similar experience to me. But everyone’s different. Simon Community recognise that. Everyone needs their own kind of support.”
“Simon Community met me on the streets. I was in a crisis. I didn’t know what to do or who to speak to. The Street Team took me to the Hub and I just felt safe, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”
“Staying in a Simon Community Scotland flat with access to 24-hour support saved me. I had my own wee kitchen and my own wee bathroom. I could keep myself to myself, or I could go down for 1-2-1 chats and group sessions. I started to feel normal again, if there is such a thing as normal!”
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
