By Scott Greer

A CHARITY aimed at helping homeless people find a safe place to live and addicts turn their lives around is still making a huge difference to the city of Glasgow more than 100 years after it was started.

Glasgow City Mission is a charitable organisation that helps vulnerable adults and children fight against homelessness and addiction and has been helping the cities rough sleepers trying to get back on their feet since 1862.

The charity has helped hundreds of people living rough in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre as the team works tirelessly to help clean up the streets and make them safer.

To get a further grasp at how Glasgow City Mission operate more closley we spoke with the some of team involved with the project.

Simon Noble, the Assistant Project Manager, described how the charity runs on a consistent basis: “We run a number of drop-ins that focus around food. The food is the element that brings folks in, but we want to use that as the means to really build a relationship.

“So often with homelessness and relationship building we often feel that, yes food is important but actually relationship is the most important part to find out what is going on with them and support them.”

In terms of helping get people off the streets and try to get them back onto their feet, Simon said: “Someone might be present during a drop-in during the day and be like “Right, I’m here I’m homeless, help.” and from there we just try and work out what’s happening, tell us about your background.

“There are people that will come across with different challenges such as mental health were they might not want to share as much as others. They could also have addiction issues going on so some folks might be under the influence. So these are just some things that we as a staff we can be met with and we try to deal with that as well as possible by trying to relate and show we care for them.”

Tim O’Connor, the Rehab Pathways Co-Ordinator, also sat down with uwsnews to discuss how Glasgow City Mission deals with things like addiction.

He said: “My job is to work with men who are homeless and have addiction issues, so I help them access residential treatment and for those who don’t want that I work with them in the community to help reduce how much drugs they’re using and we also work with people who are coming out of rehab trying get them back onto their feet, that kind of thing.”

Tim also stressed how vital it is to stay in contact with people that are coming in and out of the charity and using the rehab facilities.

He continued: “Once someone is done rehab, we do try to bring them back, for lack of a better term. Once they’re done with their treatment we then move to the next stage and try and help with their accommodations and even voluntary work, even occasionally we have had folks who then moved on to having paid employment that helps them also.

“We also have had a few guys in the past, and one at the minute that is doing an internship with Freedom Bakery, so he’s up at 4AM in the morning, baking bread, but he is absolutely loving it at the minute, which is good, and it gives you that sense of joy knowing you’re making a positive step in their life.”

One of those being supported by the Mission, who asked to remain nameless, told how life at Glasgow City Mission has been for him so far: “It’s a safe space, it’s just great in here to try and get away from what’s happening outside. The care and compassion they show for you that helps a lot. They’re non-judgemental and they’re always there for you if you need them and they’ll go above and beyond if they need to.”

Talking more specifically about how the staff and Tim helped, he added “The staff and just the people here are brilliant, and it’s a family here and they want to support you and look after you. It’s you just have to make the first step.

“Speaking for myself, I’ve seen some change in myself with obviously being in rehab, coming out, coming here and falling away. It wasn’t until I started putting everything together that I started seeing growth in myself and a change.”