Here's how your Â£21 can give homeless bed as big freeze hits

Shoppers are being encouraged to help the homeless.

The city’s Winter Care Shelter will be in opertation again this year offerering homeless the chance to sleep safe from the elements, get access to a hot meal and professional support from carers working there.

Operated by homlessness charity The Bethany Trust, they are calling on festive shoppers to spend £21 to purchqse a voucher which then entitles a rough sleeper the chance to join them.

The project, which began as a two week trial in 1996, has grown over the years to span six and a half months over the winter, providing overnight shelter every day of the week from October until April.

The service is run by a small team of staff and relies on around 1,000 volunteers from churches across the Lothians.

They provide church venues for people on the streets to sleep in on a nightly rota basis as well as preparing and serving a hot meal.

The Care Shelter is funded by the voluntary donations of trusts and foundations, individuals, local churches, companies and communities, as well as receiving support from the Caring Christmas Trees project.

Alasdair Bennett, Director of Operations at Bethany Christian Trust said: “If there is one Christmas Gift you buy this year, please consider making it this one, to relieve the suffering for men and woman who have nowhere to lay their heads this Christmas, and to ensure we provide people in the most challenging of circumstances access to safe overnight shelter with a hot nutritious meal in a loving and warm environment.

“Christmas is a time for giving.”

Set up in 1983, Bethany Christian Trust supports over 7,000 people across Scotland.

The charity’s services focus on preventing homelessness as well as alleviating the suffering of people who are homeless.

The vouchers can be bought at: http://www.bethanychristiantrust.com/news-article/buy-care-shelter-christmas-gift/