Volunteering.

Slurp organises and undertakes term-time volunteering to directly support individuals affected by homelessness. Our student volunteers currently cook weekly at three housing support locations in Edinburgh: The Pleasance Lifehouse (The Salvation Army), Bethany House (Bethany Christian Trust) and Streetwork’s Women's Emergency Accommodation (Simon Community Scotland). We believe that our voluntary work can be a valuable part of the services provided by housing support locations across Edinburgh.

In the 2022-23 academic year we expanded the volunteering that Slurp offers and are delighted to now cook five days a week, Monday to Friday. Slurp’s Volunteer Coordinators have enjoyed getting to know more and more student volunteers as we add new availability to our schedule. Volunteers can sign up for a weekly or fortnightly volunteering slot, or go on our reserve list of one-off helpers. Our volunteering team currently has six Volunteer Coordinators and more than 20 regular volunteers!

We fund all of our own ingredients and are therefore able to offer a cost-free service to the brilliant organisations we work with. 

The Pleasance Lifehouse run by The Salvation Army

Slurp is currently volunteering three times a week at the Pleasance Lifehouse, a Rapid Access Accommodation run by The Salvation Army.  One Slurp Volunteer Coordinator and two or three volunteers cook and serve a delicious hot meal for the guests. There are up to 40 individuals staying at the Pleasance Lifehouse at any time. Slurp’s volunteering here is particularly valuable given that the accommodation is currently unable to provide evening meals without Slurp’s volunteers.

We are also pleased to use the Lifehouse kitchen to provide monthly meals for Simon Community’s Wellbeing Wednesdays initiative. 

Bethany House run by Bethany Christian Trust 

Slurp volunteers also cook three times a week at Bethany House, an Emergency Resettlement Accommodation supporting individuals towards longer-term accommodation. We have been providing hot lunches since September 2022 for up to 28 residents. One Volunteer Coordinator attends with two or three volunteers. Slurp’s cooking is especially valued as it reduces the workload for Bethany staff, giving them more time to assist residents.  

Women's Emergency Accommodation run by Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland

Once a week, Slurp volunteers prepare a hot lunch for up to 12 residents at the Streetwork Women’s Emergency Accommodation. As the guesthouse is small we’ve been able to get to know the women staying there, along with many of the staff. We always receive a warm welcome and look forward to going back week after week. Volunteers for this accommodation require a PVG check from Simon Community Scotland and are therefore usually members of Slurp’s permanent committee.