26 February 2015

The First Minister wants as many people as possible to avoid the misery caused by homelessness and instead wants to provide a stable platform for people to live in Scotland.

The Simon Community has almost 50 years of experience working with those who encounter homelessness in Glasgow, and recently became a nationwide charity.

FM @NicolaSturgeon today helped mark @SimonCommScot becoming a national organisation. pic.twitter.com/UZz9HQNBaF

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) February 25, 2015

Under its new name, Simon Community Scotland, which already supports more than 2,300 people each year, will now operate on a wider scale, helping even more people across Scotland.

The First Minister helped mark the rebrand, addressing more than 140 delegates from across the public, private and voluntary sectors at Glasgow City Chambers.

She praised the organisation, and others, for their work in tackling homelessness, but said there still work to do as long as people still become homeless:

“That’s why I welcome the fact the Simon Community is becoming a national body. It is a testament to the importance of your cause; the effectiveness of your work; and the commitment of your staff and volunteers.”