Edinburgh City Mission low income services

In partnership with churches, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and charities, the Edinburgh City Mission provides short term help to the needy and homeless. The charity is a faith based organisation, and most of their services are offered as part of the Basics Bank, however other assistance may be provided too.

One service for the homeless in Edinburgh is the Care Van, and this is provided in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust. The van service, which is operated by volunteers from across the city, will stop and visit dozens of homeless people in the city each night. The services from the van are sometimes the only contact a homeless person will get each week. The Mission will provide assistance to those that are sleeping rough. There are almost 1000 people from the community that volunteer as part of the service.

The Care Van provides everything from advice to signposting to temporary accommodations or shelters in Edinburgh. There is also practical support from City Mission, and this ranges from free hot meals to blankets to parcels of food. Basic needs such as clothing and personal hygiene items may be provided too.

Free lunches are also provided to the homeless or those sleeping in hostels. The meals can be served at the Edinburgh City Mission centres below, or they are provided directly from the Care Van each night. The city council, staff from Bethany Christian Trust as well as local food banks also participate in this service to feed the vulnerable.

Support from Edinburgh City Mission Basics Bank

This may be the main service provided by the charity and churches local to the city. It includes referrals to the needy and one time aid. Most of the assistance is coordinated among partner churches as well as schools and charities, but it is only for short term help and will usually last only two months. The programmes provided include the following, but other referrals may be offered too.

-Food is provided in the form of vouchers to use at emergency foodbanks in Edinburgh or other nearby towns, if the person is not local to the city.
-Free advice for housing problems is coordinated in partnership with Citizens Advice and the Edinburgh Council.
-People in temporary accommodations, such as transitional housing or hostels, can be referred to benefits or schemes for deposits on a new home in the private sector.
-Hygiene items such as blankets or clothes are for the homeless.
-The team at the City Mission can help with form filing for everything from welfare to a local deposit scheme for a new flat.

Most of the support is offered from a referral scheme that ensures that assistance is given to those with a true need. There is advice and signposting to the unemployed, those fleeing from domestic violence, and individuals in debt arrears. The aim of Edinburgh City Mission and the Basics Bank is to help the vulnerable gain independent living and address an emergency.

There is practical support (such as food and hygiene), emotional care, and signposting, with a focus on the homeless. The key aim is to help people get off the streets of Edinburgh, so various housing schemes are available. The main offices of the City Mission are below, and people can drop in or call.

• Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, 70 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4JU.
• Dunbar area is served by Parish Churh Hall, Abbeylands, Dunbar EH42 1EH.
• Granton Baptist Church – Address is 99 Crewe Road North, Edinburgh EH5 2NW.
• Ebenezer United Free Church, 31 Bangor Road, Leith EH6 5IX.
• Musselburgh Baptist Church has a post of 68 New Street, Musselburgh EH21 6JQ.
• Edinburgh Community Church – 41a South Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9NZ.
• Wilson Memorial Church, 7 Kekewich Ave, Edinburgh EH7 6TZ.