News
Glasgow Overnight Welcome Centre To Benefit From Sleep Outs
Tue 15th November 2022
Later this month dozens of Rangers fans will brave the cold by sleeping out overnight to raise funds for the Foundation and our Community Charity Partner, Glasgow City Mission.
Glasgow City Mission is committed to tackling rough sleeping and once again this year aims, with our help, to ensure no one needs to sleep outside in Glasgow over the cold winter months.
Each year, Glasgow City Mission looks afresh at the best way to tackle the issue in Glasgow and uses its vast experience and expertise of running a winter project for the last 12 years to meet the needs of the city’s rough sleepers.
We are delighted to confirm that this year, half the funds raised from our Big Ibrox Sleep Outs will support an updated Overnight Welcome Centre initiative operated from Glasgow City Mission’s Crimea Street Day Centre.
The Crimea Street Centre will now operate through the night, every night, from 1 December to 31 March. Dinner will be served from 6:30pm until 8:00pm, after which the Overnight Welcome Centre team will be on site to help anyone who finds themselves at crisis point.
Trained staff will operate a safe, welcoming space and will work closely with the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership out-of-hours service to access emergency accommodation for anyone who needs it.
Following this new model, Glasgow City Mission will be able to access a range of temporary accommodation across the city instead of providing accommodation at only one location, as before.
The charity is also planning to double its Housing Settlement Officer team so that they can follow up with guests who have accessed the service and develop a person-centred move-on plan for each individual.
Last season, the Foundation’s donation of over £21,000 allowed Glasgow City Mission to operate the Overnight Welcome Centre from a hotel for 21 full days.
During the three weeks which were fully funded by the Foundation, 100 people stayed at the Overnight Welcome Centre. These 100 guests accounted for 1,560 bed nights. The average nightly occupancy of the Centre was 29, more than double the previous winter.
Foundation Director Connal Cochrane commented: “We are very proud of our enduring partnership with Glasgow City Mission over so many years, and of course of our fans who have raised an incredible £271,000 to date for homeless projects by taking part in our Big Ibrox Sleep Out events.
“It is really significant the difference this partnership has made to those who find themselves over the colder months with no alternative than to sleep rough on the streets, and we are delighted to be supporting Glasgow City Mission’s adapted Overnight Welcome Centre this winter.”
“The charity has so much expertise in dealing with the issue of homelessness, and really does have the insight and creativity to adapt to changing needs and situations. We’re sure the new model for the Overnight Welcome Centre will be a vital resource for those in crisis.
“Everyone at the Foundation would like to thank those taking part in the Sleep Outs this year for making this possible – you really are doing something incredible for those most in need.”
