Our Out of the Cold Project, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, support, advises and builds relationships with older people over 50 years who are on the streets, ensuring the most vulnerable get the support they need, as well as a bed.

Out of the Cold works with the most well known faces in Edinburgh; the most vulnerable, hardest to reach people who have been living a life on the streets and in housing crisis for far too long. It takes trust and persistence to build a relationship with someone who has seen it all before, but that’s exactly what we do.

We always work with people on their terms so our project needs to be flexible in order to meet the changing needs of people. addictions, mental health, worsening physical health and broken relationships with family and friends all contribute to crisis and a life on the streets – we work with people to change that, in ways that are important to them, so the change is long lasting.

We never assume that people will come to us – we go to them. We take
our advice and support to the streets and become familiar faces that can be trusted. Group work and drop-in’s provide a welcome routine for people and a source of peer support and friendship. Our drop-in and group work focus on the topics most likely to enable independent living and a life off the streets. One-to-one support is also provided so that step by step can take place.

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