How Glasgow City Mission brings a merry Christmas to their guests

But for those who don’t have the same blessings, the Overnight Welcome Centre (OWC), run by Glasgow City Mission, are working hard to deliver a merry Christmas.

Open from December 1 to March 31, the centre provides accommodation, food and care to those at risk of rough sleeping.

The service has operated for 12 years, but the hotel set-up only came last year when the pandemic forced some changes to be made. 

Glasgow City Mission’s marketing and fundraising manager Jack Geddes said: “We used to run the Winter Night Shelter where we put 40 mattresses down and anyone could come and use these.”

OWC manager Elyse MacKinnon added: “We couldn’t have 40 people sleeping one foot apart so last year we moved into a city centre hotel where everyone gets their own room, and this year we are doing the same thing.”

The Mission do not publicise the name of the hotel, but Elyse assured that those who need their help know where to go: “The homeless community is very tight; if one person hears about where we are then they tell others.”

READ MORE: 'Ask and Act': We can all play our part in preventing homelessness in Glasgow

Guests are also linked with the Mission with the aid of the police, British Red Cross, Scottish Refugee Council and Migrant Help, among other organisations who want to help struggling individuals to feel like part of a community.

Elyse said: “If you walked into the centre or the Mission you would see it is like a family. People are sitting with people they don’t know, but there’s a mutual respect as they are going through the same thing. They want to help each other out.”

Jack added: “Some of our guests don’t have family, so they become each other’s family.” 

For Jack, hospitality is the crux of forming relationships and trust with guests: “When we shut our doors during Covid we did food parcels, but thereafter we really wanted to find a way to get folk back together.

“We recognised the need for this for mental health reasons, and because we’re human beings and we like to be together.

“Giving people a hot meal and asking them how they’re doing, that’s how trust is built. When trust is built, that’s how we can really help.”

Christmas dinner at the Mission used to involve two overflowing sittings of turkey, party hats, music, and selection boxes – “joyous chaos” as Jack calls it.

Now for safety reasons, dinner is spread across an entire day in mid-December.

Jack added: “We make sure that everyone gets dinner, so we serve from 1pm to 8pm. It’s so busy but it’s one of the best days of the year.

“The whole community knows this day happens and they all pitch up, waiting for a stunning turkey dinner, the sauce, everything.”

READ MORE: Bank on Us: Glasgow's Shawlands Primary donates hundreds of bags

The sense of togetherness is something Elyse wants to emulate at the OWC again this year, where guests can use the hotel dining space to socialise, eat and enjoy their day.

Elyse said: “We don’t want people to feel stuck in their room for 24 hours a day, it’s not healthy. We all felt that during lockdown.

“We want to encourage guests to come down and be in a safe and controlled space but have as much interaction as possible.”

Regular welfare checks in liaison with mental health organisation Healing for the Heart ensure that guests are coping well with their surroundings.

Jack said: "Many of our guests in this situation have come from trauma, and we need to help them and make sure they are doing okay."

Elyse has ordered crackers and selection boxes, dinner is being provided by Social Bite, and they will distribute gift bags from Queen’s Park Baptist Church and Lodging House Mission.  

She added: “We want a relaxed atmosphere and to make people feel that they are loved and valued. We are Christians who love Christmas, and we want our guests to experience the joy and hope of Christmas too.”

If you would like to donate to the Mission’s Christmas appeal, you can visit www.glasgowcitymission.com/christmas