An open letter from our CEO Lorraine McGrath to mark our 60th anniversary

Dear friends, supporters and partners

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Simon Community Scotland. In a different world, six decades of service might be a cause for celebration. In ours, it is a sobering reminder of a growing need for the safe places, support and hope that we provide to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness every day.

When we began in 1966, we helped one person find their way. In 2025, we provided safe places and support to over 13,000 people. The scale of the challenge has shifted, and the housing emergency we often hear about in the news has become, quite simply, a people emergency.

Much has changed, sadly much has not,  yet our values are as unswerving in 2026 as they were 6 decades ago. We care, we want to help and we are always keen to listen, learn and ask what else we can do.

We could not do this without your support, your friendship, through wonderful partnerships and your encouragement through very challenging times. With all my heart, thank you so, so much.

As Chief Executive, I want to highlight how immensely proud I am to lead such a wonderful team and organisation. Every ounce of energy and compassion that my colleagues display makes a difference. Every cup of tea and a chat, every conversation, every connection, every hour of volunteering, every harm healed, every welcome pack, every smile, every time we stick with someone, every opportunity we help to create, every bright idea to develop our services and make us even better, every new home developed … I am greatly inspired by the wonderful team that I am fortunate to lead at Simon Community Scotland.

I often struggle to find the words to highlight how I am regularly blown away by the amazing people we support.  I see and hear about exceptional resilience, where humour carries people as they search for glimmers of light, often in the darkest of times. We see incredible changes in people. We see confidence returning, shoulders relaxing, smiles appearing, conversations starting, engagement when there was previously none,keys turning in homes, people grasping opportunities, and we see hope emerging, sometimes for the first time in their life. It is an absolute honour to play a small part in that. But it is all down to the people we support. We are there for them, but they make the change.

Thank you for helping us provide safe places, support and hope. I can assure you that every pound you have raised or donated, every mile you have walked or run, every vote for us to be your charity partner, every cake you have baked, every raffle prize sourced or ticket bought … It has made a difference. 

We will not mark this anniversary with a celebration, but with focus. We are using this moment to look forward through the lens of our refreshed Strategic Plan that we will launch later this year.

This plan is not just a document; it is a vision shaped by those who know the system best – people with lived and living experience of homelessness. Their voices also shape our current and future services, ensuring that our 60 years of learning are translated into the most effective support possible.

Our commitment to you, and to those we support, is twofold:

1. To remain a constant source of safety and hope for people experiencing homelessness.
2. To use our experience to influence a future where no-one has to experience the trauma of homelessness.

None of what SCS has ever done has been achieved alone.  We thank you for standing with us over the years. Your support allows us to turn 60 years of experience into a future of meaningful change. 

Please do get in touch if you have any ideas and are interested in helping us move forward.

Kindest regards

Lorraine McGrath, CEO