Shelter Scotland to open Glasgow furniture story to help homeless

The Stockwell Street charity, which opens on Thursday, is only the third furniture store in Scotland for the charity, which already has 36 shops in communities across the country raising vital funds to ensure that no-one has to face bad housing or homelessness alone.

The store is opening next door to the charity’s Glasgow Community Hub on Osborne Street, where 3,357 people approached Shelter Scotland for help between 2016/17.

More than one fifth of them were currently homeless or facing homelessness that night.

Carolyn Shennan, Shelter Scotland Stockwell Street Community shop manager, said: “It’s only because of the funds raised in our shops and through other efforts that Shelter Scotland was able to help 21,000 people directly last year with thousands more able to access advice on our website.

“With many family incomes under pressure, buying second-hand is a great way to furnish a home for less while helping people struggling with the basic necessity of finding and keeping a home.

“We’re extremely grateful to donors and shoppers alike and can’t wait to open our doors tomorrow.”

The armchair, footstool, coffee table and lamp pictured highlight the high quality of items available at a fraction of their new cost, with shoppers able to help people struggling to find or keep a home into the bargain.

Shelter Scotland’s Stockwell Street furniture store will also sell clothing and bric-a-brac. It will also offer access to an information station computer for people who need help to access online information about their housing rights.

Following on from successful projects in Motherwell and Rutherglen where Shelter Scotland has its existing two furniture stores, some of the stock donated will be assembled into packs for people who have been homeless and are moving into a new tenancy.

Anyone interested in donating items or volunteering can contact Shelter Scotland on 0141 548 6792.