By Tony O’Riley-
Several organisations from Glasgow have collaborated in a show of unity to provide food for homeless and vulnerable individuals.
Their joint services also includes shelter and health and care support throughout the winter. In an example of the power of partnership working, a group of charities, businesses and benevolent individuals have collaborated to create the Winter Kitchen, a pop-up soup kitchen in the heart of the city.
Amongst the group are South Community Recovery Network; Addaction; Glasgow HSCP Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services; North West Glasgow Recovery Communities; North East Recovery Community; and The Mungo Foundation.
The group fill in the missing gap in the daytime, where most of the city’s homeless are without any food supplies. Night shelters and hostels already available for the homeless in the evenings. Apart from assistance with food and clothing, the group assists with signposting to recovery communities/services across the city)
Known as the kitchen situated on Glasgow’s kitchen street, the set up already has 145 visitors, six onward referrals and three injection equipment kits supplied in its first week. This is due in part to its central location.
Anticipating this, the team reached out to partners from across the city, meaning that any vulnerable individuals looking to begin their recovery journey can be signposted towards longer term support opportunities that work for them.
Several charities have come forward to offer food, clothing and staff time with nurses from the NHS on hand to provide support to individuals with health issues. Local businesses have also made vital contributions: landlords Ramage Young offered the premises for a low rate; local construction and property company McAleer and Rushe made soup and offered their tradesmen services for free to help get the space ready.
Biba Brand, regional manager of The Mungo Foundation told The Eye Of Media.Com:
“We are delighted at the positive spirit and determination to help the homeless. Without these services, many will be without warmth and food in the day when other soup kitchens are closed. It’s unfortunate that the city needs another soup kitchen, but there’s a visible gap, and we all wanted to help.
The response has been fantastic, not just from the named partner organisations, but from the people of Glasgow as well. We’ve had tons of donations, and employees from other organisations, like Turning Point Scotland and Waverley Care have also been turning up regularly to contribute their time and expertise.”
John McCann, of the Scottish Community Recovery Network, added:
“This is what we call brilliant collaborative leadership, where no one organisation takes the credit. We put the invite out to partners in the city who helped support this; planning was coordinated without too much hassle and bureaucracy.
I think on a personal level that we are meeting the needs of people who are being missed and are not involved in services. People get a warm welcome and a friendly face – they’re made to feel included not excluded, and it really shows me what can be done in a short space of time when people work together. The opposite of addiction is connection, that’s what works well and is on offer in this set up.”
Gillian Ferguson, of Glasgow’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership, said: “We are delighted to support the Winter Kitchen and to work alongside the Mungo Foundation to offer harm reduction advice and support to vulnerable people with complex needs who are attending.”