Soup kitchen staff in Glasgow left traumatised after string of 'verbal and physical attacks'

A number of Homeless Project Scotland volunteers have even resigned from their duties at the Argyle Street unit due to the “abuse”. 

It is claimed that thugs are targeting the premises and have been “spitting”, “shouting” and “swearing” at staff and service users.

Police confirmed that a man and a woman were arrested in connection with a disturbance at the facility on Wednesday evening.

Colin McInnes (Image: Newsquest)

Chairman of the charity, Colin McInnes, said: “There is a great deal of pressure on the soup kitchen at the moment.

“Between a rise in inflation and the cut to Universal Credit, our volunteers have been working tirelessly to help others and unfortunately, they have been met with abuse.

“Due to the cuts to Universal Credit, we’ve had a lot more families, elderly people and vulnerable people coming for help.

“On top of that pressure and increasing demand, there is now intimidation and abuse from members of the public towards our volunteers.”

It is claimed that an aggressive mob has been standing on the opposite side of the road where they “attempt to insight a disturbance”. 

Colin said: “We have had people standing across the road from our soup kitchen call our volunteers names and attempt to insight a disturbance. 

“Our service users have been threatened, intimidated and assaulted. It has resulted in the need for an increased police presence in the area to make our facility feel safe again. 

“The inspector for the area has been really helpful in making our volunteers and service users feel secure, but this should not be happening.

“A couple of our volunteers have been traumatised by the ordeals and unfortunately, a few haven’t returned to the soup kitchen because they feel threatened.”

The issue led the charity to re-evaluate its operation where it was feared the soup kitchen would be axed. 

Colin said: “From the charity’s perspective, we have even considered closing our soup kitchen due to the safety of our service users and volunteers.

“It has made me self-reflect on the charity and on our operation day-to-day. I thought, why am I putting people on the frontline to be abused?

“We’ve had people spitting at us, shouting at us, the lot. It has just been ongoing intimidation, I don’t know why people want to stand across the road and hurl abuse at us on a Friday night.”

Colin hopes to move the soup kitchen into an indoor unit, where security would control who enters the building.  He has appealed to council bosses to consider letting the charity move into an empty building owned by the local authority.

He said: “We are trying our best to source an indoor facility where people can come to us and have a bit of dignity and respect to accessing our services without the threat of being abused.

“It would be great if somebody could help us but we would like to see Glasgow City Council have a look at their empty buildings and get back to us – we think it is time they stepped up to help the homeless.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 8.30pm on Wednesday, January 26, to a report of a disturbance in Argyle Street, Glasgow.

“A 24-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Officers will continue to engage in a dialogue with the organisation to see if there is any support we can offer them.”