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Why I came to be bothered enough to do something.

I lived in Edinburgh for the past 7 months, and was disturbed by the number of homeless people, men and women, on the streets there. I have long been happy to buy a coffee or a sandwich for someone asking for help, and I felt good about that small act. However, one day I came across Richard sitting against a Sainsbury's Local, hunched up and sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't just walk on by.

I sat with him as he poured out his story. Aged 19, in late 2016, having been made redundant, he missed an appointment with the Social Security, so they imposed a 6-month sanction on payments. He couldn't pay his rent, had no family with the means to help him, so he was out on the streets. At Christmas his mother died. Richard's face was cut and bruised because he had been mugged for his day's loose change, and, even worse, for his training shoes. He was as close to rock-bottom as a person can get.

I arranged to meet with someone from Streetwork, who kindly showed me around their centre in Edinburgh. Here is what they do with their money:

Streetwork is available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week to respond to those in need.

We go out, seek, find and connect with the most vulnerable people in Edinburgh: women fleeing domestic abuse, affected by or excluded from society as a result of working within the sex industry, young people in crisis or at risk on the streets and people suffering from mental
health and addiction issues sleeping on the streets of Edinburgh.

Without judgement we develop relationships with people that we meet. We help them to move away from a situation of crisis and find their own solution, working on their terms, at their pace, in their place to help them make sustainable positive changes in their lives.

A bed for the night is just the starting place. Our Crisis Service – open 7 days a week – is a safe place to go for those who are in housing crisis or sleeping rough.

Our Crisis Centre offers various facilities such as toilets, showers, laundry, storage space and internet access. It is also a place where people can work with our skilled practitioners to receive support that enables them to stabilise their lives and move forward positively away from a life on the streets.

I met Richard several times after that first, depressing, disturbing day. He started using Streetwork, and they gave him the support he needed to carry on. He had a safe and secure place for his few possessions, somewhere to shower and shave, and help with navigating the benefits system, as well as that essential ingredient, someone to listen and care.

The day before I left Edinburgh in mid-April I happened upon Richard again, and what great timing that was. His sanction was over, Streetwork had helped him to regain his benefits, and he had been found a place to live.

I honestly believe that that is a life saved.

Please give what you can because there are so many people who fall foul of events in life, and are so easily and quickly dragged down and into a world that I hope never to enter. I don't think I could survive it.

Spread the word, do a little act of kindness here, with my greatest of thanks.

Dave.