A Glasgow homeless charity has been gifted a new crew van that will help to reduce drugs deaths in Scotland.
Independent Ford dealer Peoples this week handed the vehicle over to Homeless Project Scotland and pledged to maintain and service it.
Colin McInnes, who founded the charity, said: “This is more than a van for us – it’s a lifeline. We’ll have a team on board that is Naloxone trained meaning it will help them save lives as they patrol the streets.
“It will be used to transport vital goods, take our cycle teams to key locations to bring hot food and essentials to vulnerable people in desperate need of assistance, and to bring our hard-working volunteers home safely.”
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Colin says the charity has never been in more need of support, citing the latest figures which reveal a 27 per cent increase in homelessness in Glasgow alone. He fears the energy price hike will only exacerbate the problem and has already been approached by desperate families unable to make ends meet.
The six-seater Transit crew van is the second vehicle provided to the charity by Peoples – in 2020 the dealership handed over a Transit van which it has maintained for the charity ever since. To-date it has been used to transport an estimated 20,000 tons of food, including some 8.5 tons of discarded supermarket produce, which is turned into nutritious meals for homeless people.
It has also been used to take volunteers to and from the charity’s emergency soup kitchen under the Hielanman’s Umbrella on Glasgow’s Argyle Street, and to transport white goods to families in need.
Brian Gilda, Chairman of Peoples, said he is proud to support a charity carrying out vital work for a cause that is close to his heart.
He explained: “Years ago I had a close friend who experienced emotional difficulties and found themselves on the streets of Glasgow, homeless and deeply ashamed. But anyone can be a victim of circumstance and after receiving help, that friend is now back on their feet and surrounded by loving family.
“Since then I have worked with a charity in South Africa that provides opportunities for children who live on the streets, and when Colin from Homeless Project Scotland got in touch back in 2020 I was inspired by the charity’s incredible work. Peoples is immensely proud to further support its efforts in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society.”
The van was handed over to the charity this week before its soup kitchen opened in Glasgow, and Brian Gilda and a team of volunteers from Peoples stayed on-site to help serve food, meet some of the service users supported by the charity and pack boxes of supplies.
