The Wee Hours: I joined the Edinburgh homeless charity providing more than just clothing to guests

It is a windy Friday evening on the back of a winter that chilled even the heartiest to the bone. I am on Waverley Bridge to meet the team from the Wee Hours, a charity who are determined to help those in need. It has now entered its second year helping people who are living on the streets of the capital. Every Friday night they are here, at this spot, distributing essentials.

In October 2024, Donna Ewing, who lives in Leith, was serving breakfast as part of charity service in the city when two teenage children came through the door. Such is the trust built up between Donna and those guests who use the services, it was one of those service users who knew the teenagers would be in good hands with Donna. One was dressed only in their pyjamas, the other was soaked to the bone and wearing no shoes.

Donna knew she had to do something.

And so she did. She set up the Wee Hours in January 2025 and each Friday night she has set up on Waverley Bridge. “The very first time I went out on my own, we were quiet,” she said.

When I join Donna and the team on Waverley Bridge just over a year later, it is anything but quiet.

“Welcome to the chaos,” Donna says as I arrive 15 minutes before service was due to start. There are already queues of people searching through the boxes of jackets, coats, gloves and sleeping bags. All of them are trying to find something, anything, that will help them get through another night on the streets of Edinburgh.

The people that are using the Wee Hours are in dire need of support. But it would be wrong to say that there is anything but a positive attitude amongst those visiting the service tonight. It is a conscious decision. “We need people to know it’s not something they need to be sad about,” Donna says.

Donna Ewing, who founded the Wee Hours, said she felt she had to do something after encountering two homeless teens. | Scott Barron/The Wee Hours

The positivity is infectious enough that it has turned guests into volunteers. I meet Adam who is manning a table. He is older, dressed in hi-vis and a red tammy hat. “I basically came down one night and I asked Donna if she was looking for help and have been with Donna since day one,” he says.

“I think it’s good for them. At least they have something on a Friday where they can get a sleeping bag,” Adam tells me. “You get to know people who are really on the street.”

Getting to know those who they help on a Friday is truly at the heart of the project. “It’s about making them human again,” Donna says, and it is echoed by another volunteer - Sandra Aitken. She has faced her own challenges, and now wishes to give something back.

“I have been in a similar position to some of the guys who come to the van through alcohol and drugs but I was lucky enough to get help and support,” she explains. She has been in recovery for three years now and sees her role as one of support for the service's guests - even if she does downplay that role.

“I don’t feel like I do much as a volunteer. I just walk around and chat and give people a hug,” she says.

Throughout my time with the charity, there are few moments where Sandra is not engaged in conversation with a guest. And she says she is in her element when speaking to those using the service.

“I would rather be here on a Friday night than anywhere else,” she says.

Adam has been with the charity since day one. “You get to know people who are really on the street,” he says. | Scott Barron/The Wee Hours

Around halfway through service, one of the guests arrives and tells Donna about a family of five, two parents and three children, that are huddled nearby in a city centre doorway. It is reminiscent of that first moment that spawned the Wee Hours.

“For me, certainly, that is an absolute privilege that the guys trust me enough,” she says.

The stories of those who visit the service are varied. One of those who agrees to speak to me is 28-year old Rachel. She left care a decade ago and found herself homeless after the death of her partner two years ago.

Rachel’s story is one that is all too often heard. She described being moved around constantly and feeling overwhelmed. “You feel stuck and then you just don't know what to do,” she says. Now she is doing better and is focusing on ‘being productive and not wallowing in self-pity’.

The human approach of the Wee Hours has been a huge draw for Rachel.

“They are amazing. There’s no judgement, just good, amazing people,” she says. “They always come and talk to me and I will talk to them and it’s both of us as just people.”

It should be no surprise that Rachel also volunteers with the Wee Hours at its Sunday breakfast service.

Kieran is another guest turned volunteer, known as the team's "riot control". | Scott Barron/The Wee Hours

The final member of the team that I meet is Kieran Mutch, described as the charity’s “security”, but this security is more often seen handing out scones than turfing out punters. For Kieran the service has helped him feel better about himself as he deals with mental health, including social anxiety.

“I just came down as a customer then I just jumped in and helped,” he said. “It’s made me feel a bit better and that I can be part of a team. That I can make a difference in people's lives. I have been in that situation before. I know how it feels,” he said.

“It’s just engaging with other people getting to know the why.”

As the service winds up, Donna does the rounds checking to see how her volunteers have coped. It has been a particularly busy night and it can be overwhelming, especially for new volunteers.

The volunteers have battled the elements, with some having been forced to chase items which have blown away down the street. They have dealt with disputes between customers. It has been an hour, but it has been a packed hour.

A year on from her decision to start the Wee Hours, Donna has made the project her focus. In December, after talking plans through with family she left her job as a bursar at a school. She calls it her ‘best decision ever made’.

You can find out more information about the Wee Hours, and a list of their essential items at their website.