Glasgow Winter Night Shelter Remains Open Thanks To The Rangers Charity Foundation

Glasgow Winter Night Shelter Remains Open Thanks To The Rangers Charity Foundation

A Glasgow homeless shelter is able to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers in Glasgow during the current atrocious weather thanks to the Rangers Charity Foundation and its supporters.

The Glasgow Winter Night Shelter has been open all week for those in need, offering them somewhere warm to shelter from the bitter cold and heavy snow brought by the ‘Beast from the East’.

But it wouldn’t have been possible for the night shelter to have remained open after Wednesday had it not been for the money raised by the inaugural Big Ibrox Sleep Out in 2015, hich the Rangers Charity Foundation organised to raise funds for Glasgow City Mission, which manages the night shelter. The Foundation had pledged to raise £25,000 to fund the extension of the night shelter’s opening hours from December – February to December – March for 2016, but by raising a staggering £70,000, Glasgow City Mission announced the night shelter would also be able to stay open in March in 2017 and 2018.

Graham Steven, Partnerships and Communications Manager at Glasgow City Mission, said: “It is with our heartfelt thanks to the Rangers Charity Foundation and Rangers fans that we are in a position to remain open this month.

“We are incredibly indebted to all our supporters and the wider public for their incredible desire to help. It is times like these where we see our city at its best when ordinary members of the public enable extraordinary things to take place, where charities and community groups along with vital public services pull out the stops to provide care for those most in need.”

Rangers Charity Foundation Director, Connal Cochrane added: “Rangers fans should feel very proud that their fundraising efforts have led to the Glasgow Winter Night Shelter being able to remain open during this weather.

“Since 2015 supporters have raised an incredible £183,000 for homeless projects and the work of the Foundation by taking part in our Big Ibrox Sleep Out events.

“Just last week we announced that our most recent Sleep Out raised £61,000, which will partly be used to help fund Glasgow City Mission’s Housing First initiative and Simon Community Scotland’s new Street Cycles project.”

The Glasgow Winter Night Shelter operates seven nights a week and opens at 10pm. The night shelter provides temporary, emergency accommodation for rough sleepers plus connections to healthcare, housing and other support services in the city. It’s located at East Campbell Street inside the building of the Lodging House Mission.

Each weekday from 10am to 10pm and Saturdays 4pm to 8pm, Glasgow City Mission runs a city centre project at Crimea Street, just off Argyle Street between Central Station and the Kingston Bridge. There’s always someone available for homeless people to have a chat with plus food, showers, computers and a wide range of activities.