FAQs

In Edinburgh

From October to April the Welcome Centre provides emergency accommodation with support to find suitable move on accommodation for anyone who would otherwise be sleeping rough. Three meals a day are provided, as well as access to a range of onsite services. It is located at the Haymarket Hub Hotel, 7 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR and can be accessed 24 hours a day. You can turn up or call ahead on 07919 557 673 during operating months and someone will help you.

Across Scotland

To get support across Scotland or when the Welcome Centre is closed please see our Get Help section where you can search for Bethany services near you.

You can find out what support is available close to you here or get in touch by phone or email and we will help you find support. You can also access a list of helplines here.

By email: info@bethanychristiantrust.com

By phone: 0131 561 8930

By letter: Bethany Christian Trust, 65 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ

It can be hard to know what to do when you see people on the streets but showing you care can have a massive impact on an individual. 

In Edinburgh, the Welcome Centre is open from October to May. There, people with nowhere else to stay will receive their own room, food and support to find suitable accommodation.

Our Get Help section offers a directory of different Bethany support services available across Scotland, and you can use it to help someone find the kind of support they need. 

We also have this leaflet which shows you what services are available in Edinburgh, which can be a handy tool to give to people you see on the streets. If you would like to get some printed copies sent to you, please email us, supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com.

You can also see our directory of other organisations who may be able to help.

Bethany is a Scottish homelessness charity. We are ending homelessness in Scotland, one person at a time. This means preventing homelessness in communities where it is most prevalent, helping and accommodating people experiencing a crisis of homelessness and supporting people to stay in their own accommodation. Read more about how we do that here.

At Bethany we run a Rapid Re-Accommodation Welcome Centre which is open in Edinburgh from October to May.  Now known as the Welcome Centre, the Care Shelter was modified in 2020 to become a 24 hour service. It provided overnight shelter for people who were homeless in an emergency. 

The Welcome Centre is a place that people can come who do not have anywhere else to stay. Guests receive an en-suite bedroom, three meals a day, 24 hour care and professional support around a range of needs.  There is a particular emphasis on helping people move into other accommodation rapidly.

It is located at the Haymarket Hub Hotel, 7 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR. For more info please call 07919 557 673 during operating months.

Bethany works across Scotland and we have projects in Glasgow, Fife, West Lothian, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Stornoway, Perth, Dumfries and Edinburgh. We also work with prisons across Scotland through our Connect to Community program. This map shows you where our services are.

No. Bethany Christian Trust is committed to giving equal opportunities to people who may use our services irrespective of race, gender, religion/belief, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability or sex. We aim to put Christian love in action through all of our work and there may be optional Christian activities within our services, such as the availability of devotion times and faith exploration.

People are referred to Bethany in a variety of ways. This can be through council or health services, through a support professional or other organisation or by contacting us directly. People may also attend directly at our Care Vans, Drop Ins, Community Groups or the Welcome Centre.

If you need help or are with someone who needs help please search for your nearest available Bethany service here. 

You can also get in touch within office hours:

By email: info@bethanychristiantrust.com

By phone: 0131 561 8930

By letter: Bethany Christian Trust, 65 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ

Take a look here at other organisations that may be able to help.

We work with a wide range of organisations including other charities, local councils, and the police to identify people who are sleeping rough and to offer them accommodation and support.

Our hope is that no one has to sleep on the streets. When someone is sleeping rough there are typically a complex range of both system and individual barriers involved that led to the situation. At any given time, some people are entering such circumstances for the first time in Scotland, having recently lost their accommodation, often accompanied by relationship breakdown. Some people are in a more chronic rough sleeping situation as a result of multiple factors and are uncertain of accepting assistance offered.

We have regular contact with people in all circumstances during our outreach, as do our partner organisations. We work hard to build trust and meaningful relationships, leading to renewed hope and the possibility of changed lives as people re-engage with offers of accommodation and support.

Yes, we are usually able to provide accommodation for dogs alongside their owners at the Rapid Re-Accommodation Welcome Centre while it is open throughout the winter months (from October to May). Before bringing a dog to the Welcome Centre, please call us on 07919 557 673 to check that we can accommodate.

Should our service be unable to help we can refer anyone who has a pet to a shelter run by Dunedin Canmore.

Dunedin Canmore
4 Parliament Street
Edinburgh
EH6 6EB

hostel@dunedincanmore.org.uk

0131 624 5800

At Bethany we partner with lots of organisations across our different services. We work together with the church, multiple charities, the NHS, local councils and national government towards our vision of ending homelessness in Scotland, one person at a time.

We are in formal partnership with 25 charities across Scotland and work together informally with many more. 

You can make an online donation here. If you would prefer to post your donation or make a donation over the phone, use the details below. If you would like to talk to someone about your donation, please contact us:

You can also get in touch within office hours:

By email: supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com

By phone: 0131 561 8927

By letter: Bethany Christian Trust, 65 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ

There are many ways you can fundraise for Bethany from getting involved in an event like the Big Sleepout, creating your own fundraising event such as a run or bake sale, or fundraising through a celebration event such as birthday or wedding. Take a look at our event ideas or contact events@bethanychristiantrust.com to help get you started.

We recommend using JustGiving as a fundraising platform as it makes gathering sponsorship with Gift Aid very easy and in the payment process, your sponsors have the option to cover the administration fees. However, if you have raised money and do wish to donate directly into our bank account drop us an email to supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com to let us know.

There are many ways your child or young person could help! During the winter months, they could collect brand new socks, pants and other clothes to donate to the Welcome Centre. In the summer, they could create or participate in a wonderful fundraising event! We have had loads of creative children fundraising for us in their own personalised way like selling their artwork, or by getting involved in a challenge like the Big Sleepout. Take a look at our event ideas or contact events@bethanychristiantrust.com to help get the ideas rolling.

We would love to chat to you and give a helping hand! Drop us an email at supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com or give us a call on 0131 561 8927.

We always use your donation where it is needed most across Scotland unless you specify a particular service you would like it to fund. This means your donation goes towards our homelessness prevention, crisis intervention, and housing & support services and helps keep Bethany running so that we can be there every day for people facing homelessness. You can find out more about our how your donations are used in the Annual Report and yearly accounts.

Here are the types of regular gifts and the best way to make any changes: 

Direct Debit – This regular donation is under our Direct Debit guarantee and can be set up through our fundraising office. You can provide us with your bank details by calling us on 0131 561 8927. You can manage your donation personally, but we can also make any changes by your request. 

Standing Order – This is a donation set up by yourself as a bank transfer. For this you can request our bank details which we will be happy to provide. After it is set up you are the only one who can make any changes either by contacting your bank or by using online banking. 

Recurring card payment – This is set up through our website donation page when you choose to make a monthly donation. Any changes can be made through online banking or by contacting us, and we can make any amendments. 

If you would like advice on setting up or making changes to your regular gift, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling our fundraising office on 0131 561 8927 or emailing us at supporters@bethanychristiantrust.com and we can provide you with any further information. 

Donating your sofa or spare bed to Bethany can make a difference in two ways; we are always looking for good quality pieces to help set people up in their new homes as well as selling items in our shops. You can take a look at the items we accept and arrange a furniture pickup here.