Our programmes

Streetreads takes books and stories to people affected by homelessness. Stories offer a great way to escape the realities of trauma and tough times, a chance to lose yourself in another world, to find solace, adventure, new horizons. They also help us start conversations and build the connections that are vital to recovery from homelessness.

Simon Community Scotland have moved to a high tolerant harm reduction model across our services, resulting in a huge decrease in drug-related deaths – from 11 in 2020, to 1 in 2021. This is an evidence-based approach, also adopted in other parts of the UK, proven to reduce drug deaths, tackle stigma and improve relationships for people accessing services.

Simon Community have been working in partnership with the dogs trust. All of Simon Community Services are dog friendly and we support people and pets to stay together everyday.

Simon Community have been leading the way in Digital Inclusion since 2017. Our Get Connected projects have connected over 1600 people experiencing homelessness to the digital world. The impact of digital inclusion through this model is truly life-changing as demonstrated in our evidence based Get Connecte Reports.

Gambling Harm is a new space that Simon Community Scotland has entered, and with the release of The Gambling White Paper in April 2023 we are in a unique position to be at the forefront of change. We received 12 months of funding from Gamble Aware, in partnership with Fast Forward, to support and raise awareness of gambling harm among people we support and staff in our services.

Our Period Friendly Project was designed to provide free period products for anyone who menstruates and is experiencing homelessness. Scotland became the first country in the world to make it a legal right to access free period products in November 2020 and we are working with Glasgow City Council to ensure continuity of supplies to those who need them, in places they can easily access them.

We want to help people recognise the signs of hypothermia and how they can help people they think are at risk. As our colleagues in Scottish Mountain Rescue tell us, the most effective solution to hypothermia is ‘we get them off the mountain’. Our most effective solution to hypothermia is to get people off the streets.

By My Side is Simon Community Scotland’s new harm reduction App which will host information and resources created by women who use our services, covering topics which are important for women using drugs in Scotland today.

We See You is our new CORRA funded project, supporting people who use substances and who are experiencing homelessness in Glasgow City Centre. Running 7-days per week from our award winning Glasgow Access Hub.

Our Trauma Informed services provide a safe environment that ensures the people we support and our staff feel physically and psychologically safe. Any decisions are made with transparency, with the primary goal of building and maintaining trust and we try, where possible, to ensure an early intervention approach.

Street Change is an alternative giving platform which gives our Street Team quick and easy access to funds. It allows them to offer immediate, tailored solutions to people in crisis. This reduces the need for begging restoring dignity and self-worth.