Imagine if you didn’t have a safe place to go. Imagine if you had no-one you could turn to for support, no-one you could trust.

There were 39,006 applications for homelessness in Scotland last year. There are a lot of people desperately seeking safe places and support.

Simon Community Scotland is the nation's leading homeless support charity. The number of people their frontline teams are supporting is reaching record levels, again. They are doing their very best to provide people with a safe place to access support and keep people safe from harm. But they are very stretched and desperately need more help. Whether you can support us as a team, and organisation or as an individual, please consider donating to their ‘A Safe Place’ appeal.

We are looking to raise £1,000 to help towards the £200,000 emergency appeal, with funds directed to their safe places, including; community hubs, street teams and accommodation, as well as basic life essentials for people they support, including; warm winter clothing, food parcels and toiletries.

£10 - Would allow them to buy some basic essentials to support someone into emergency accommodation - a safe place for a night or longer

£25 - Would help them provide A Safe Place welcome pack (fresh pyjamas, tea, coffee, snacks and toiletries) to welcome someone into one of their safe places - a supported accommodation service.

£50 - Would allow them to provide A Safe Place winter essentials pack (£5 worth of toiletries, £10 worth of food vouchers, £15 scarf, hat and glove set and a £20 jacket) to someone experiencing homelessness who they are supporting.

£70 - Could provide hot food, dry warm clothes and a night in safe accommodation for somebody that desperately needs it.

£350 - Would help them provide A Safe Place, support and care to 5 people tonight.

£500 - Would allow them to run a We See You / Women’s Support Groups at our Edinburgh/Glasgow hubs for people experiencing homelessness.

£700 - Would allow them to provide a safe place and support to a woman experiencing homelessness for 1-week.

£1,000 - Would provide a ‘moving in pack’ to make an empty house a safe place - a home

£7,000 - would allow them to provide a safe place and support for 10 people experiencing homelessness for a week.

£10,000 - Would provide 10 ‘moving in packs', to make an empty house a safe place for someone - a safe home.

£50,000 - Would allow them to buy A Safe Home for someone who has been experiencing homelessness and who is ready to move into a home of their own with our outreach support. The home would be their home for as long as they need it.

Please read Kirsty’s story (below) to find out about the life changing difference your donation could make.

Kirsty - Glasgow, aged 37

“I was lost. In a downward spiral of poor mental health and taking copious amounts of drugs to block out pain and trauma. I had a job, I had a home, I was in a relationship… and I lost them all. I was sofa surfing and then I was on the streets, or in hostels.

“I found Simon Community Scotland’s hub after speaking to their Street Team. It was the safest place I had been for months. It felt safe to talk, safe to connect with the support workers, safe to tell them my story and all my fears. Simon Community Scotland got me into one of their specialist women’s support services.

“I had my own room with an en-suite bathroom - something I’d never had before! I had access to 24-hour support. I felt safe. And my mental health improved considerably. I’m now in my own home, but I’m not through it all. I still need the safety of the hub to help me through my addictions and experience of homelessness. But for the first time in a long time, I can see light.”

Lorraine McGrath, CEO for Simon Community Scotland, said: “The number of people our frontline teams are supporting is reaching record levels, again. Last year we helped over 8,000 people and this year we are set to support over 9,500. We're doing our very best to provide people with a safe place to access support and keep people safe from harm. But we are very stretched and desperately need more help. Whether you can support us as an organisation or as an individual, please consider supporting Simon Community Scotland’s ‘A Safe Place’ appeal.”