Homes for Scotland together

“Everyone deserves a safe place to live and access to the support they need”

That’s our vision and we are unbelievably delighted to be a charity partner for the Homes for Scotland Awards 2023. I believe we share that vision, belief and values. I believe that together we can make a difference. There is a rich opportunity for us to connect on community health, benefits and sustainable development goals.

As an organisation who work with people to keep their homes and to find new homes if they experience homelessness, to connect directly with the industry that is principally concerned with building homes, creating homes and designing new ways of making homes is extremely exciting. There is a rich opportunity for us to connect on delivering community benefits, sustainable development goals and building community wealth. 

There are many, many amazing things that happen across Simon Community Scotland on a daily basis. But perhaps the most special day is the day when we support someone out of their experience of homelessness and into a house that they can then turn into a safe, secure and comfortable place they can call home.

That doesn’t happen in a day though, the truth is that it can and does take  years to support people through the many harms and trauma that leads people to homelessness and are worsened by their experience of being homeless. Recently we supported a women into our own home who we first helped 7-years ago. Not that uncommon a story but we know that people are amazing in what they can and do overcome. We never give up and I am beyond proud of the teams that hold the belief in every single person that they too can get to a better place and find a settled life in a place that works for them.

Day in and day out, we are there for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness – providing compassionate and expert care, support, information, advice, accommodation and homes.

We do this person-to-person on the streets, on the phone, through outreach support, in our hubs, digital inclusion, harm reduction emergency & supported accommodation services and our own SCS homes.

In 2023 we supported over 8,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Homelessness is incredibly harmful. People suffer incredible stress and have often experienced incredible trauma in their lives. Trauma and the harms of homelessness lead to complex and intense difficulties for people. People are facing challenges they have no control over. They’re scared and desperate for kindness/compassion/understanding, help, advice and support.

Funds raised for Simon Community Scotland at the Homes for Scotland Awards will support everything from;

• Kettle packs for people staying in temporary accommodation (often for years) who we support through our hubs
• Welcome packs – for women who arrive at our emergency services with nothing but the clothes they are wearing 
• Enhanced support for people for people who find it difficult to engage with public services
• And you’ll help us support people into homes of their own. To turn a house into a home, we need funds.

Our support is needed now more than ever. We greatly appreciate the support from the Homes for Scotland Awards and from all our supporters. You help us make a difference every day.

Very best wishes and good luck to all those nominated for an award for the homes they have created across Scotland.

Lorraine