Homeless Project Scotland opens new centre and gives 100 freezing Scots a bed

Hundreds of desperate Scots were helped in their hour of need after a new welfare centre was set up by a homeless charity in Glasgow.

Homeless Project Scotland opened the doors of their new welfare centre in the basement of an office building in Merchant City in late December, before launching their night shelter service last week.

Boss Colin McInnes says 310 people per day come through the doors for food and they have accommodated over 100 people in the night shelter in just a week.

The night shelter offers a comfortable bed for people who would otherwise be huddled in doorways in the freezing cold, taking up to 35 people off the streets each night.

The new welfare centre has been swamped by users.

Colin is determined to not only save lives but restore dignity and hope to people in desperate need of both. He said: “This has all been incredibly stressful but we are fulfilling the need of the people of Glasgow and Scotland.

“I’ve been working night shifts and trying to catch up on sleep during the day and it’s been hard. We are hitting capacity on the soup kitchen, overnight stay is slowly picking up – our max so far is 12 in a night, capacity is 35. Word is spreading.

“People are coming back after being accommodated saying they want to stay with us not in their homeless hotel because it’s nicer here, a clean bed, breakfast, people talk to you, there’s a library to pick books.

“But that’s not what we are here for – we are emergency only. We put people up for a night as a last resort after trying correct channels and routes. We bring in lawyers every morning to make sure they are taken on and accommodated by the council.

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“We offer access to lawyers, support, welfare rights, accommodation, ongoing help. The baby who came in with mum at the weekend, which became a story on socials and so on, is being supported around the clock by our welfare follow up team.

“We are looking after people and protecting them and lawyers are there to help mum and baby.” Colin admits it’s been tough but also hugely rewarding – and vindication for him and his charity, and their argument that this service is vital and deliverable.

“We are showing how vital this service is and that this CAN be delivered by a volunteer organisation with no paid staff. It shows Glasgow has care and compassion and this service has been greatly needed to help people off the street.

“Our soup kitchen fed people and they went off, but here they stay, sit, talk. We are giving a voice to the voiceless. We empower them. We listen. We help.

“Some people come in to us and we get them accommodation so they don’t need a bed with us – maybe 30-40 service users per night including those we place elsewhere.

“If we can’t get them a council bed after making a recorded call, we give them a bed with us. They are put through four stages before that, four hurdles.

“We are very structured with health and safety and governance, there is wrapround support for the individual. It’s what each person needs.”

Colin of course wants to eradicate homelessness and knows there is a long way to go – but feels a huge goal has been met with Scotland’s first night shelter and welfare centre.

“I still feel numb. I don’t want to go into detail but one guy has really stuck with me. Nine nights sleeping on a yoga mat in soaking clothes – his face and his gratitude will always stay with me. He said our place was like The Ritz.

“The police have not been called to the address once, no one barred, no fights, no drama, it’s controlled and safe and strict. We don’t ask for respect we demand it. It’s about everyone coming together and looking after their home.

“Nothing has been broken, stolen or vandalised. Everyone embraced it, as it’s about making it theirs and giving them respect. This is the people’s welfare centre not ours. We ask what they want. We give them what we want.

“Food choices, two portions, three. Watch TV, play games, read a book. It’s about humanity. Our volunteers have been amazing, one came up with the idea of a breakfast menu.

“People staying here order what they want and its cooked for them, giving them respect and humanity. We order what we want, so do they. That bit of respect creeps back.

“We are delivering the service we promised and have absolutely saved lives, nightly.” The centre offers a warm, safe place to sleep for up to 35 people.

It also serves as a new base for Colin’s soup kitchen which gives out free food to those in need – sparking huge queues at their former street location at Argyle Street.

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