The safe place for young people facing homelessness
- Published
Niamh found a safe place to stay using Nightstop
When Niamh Wilkie became homeless at the age of 16, she was helped out of a "horrible situation" by the emergency accommodation service Nightstop.
She was placed with volunteer host Gordon Cameron while she got back on her feet.
The scheme, which is run by Edinburgh-based charity Rock Trust, supports young people aged between 16 and 25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Nightstop aims to protect young homeless people from abuse in alternative accommodation.
The charity fears the cost of living crisis will have a "huge impact" on youth homelessness, and says it urgently needs more volunteers.
Nightstop's hosts provide a spare room, meals and support to a young person who urgently needs a safe place to stay short term.
In January, Niamh told her high school teacher she could not go home to her family.
She was placed with Mr Cameron, and stayed with him for between four and five weeks.
Niamh, now aged 17, said the charity helped her find a "safe home environment" after becoming homeless and couch surfing with friends.
'The only way out'
"It was a horrible situation," she told BBC Scotland.
"It's a horrible thing to even think about, becoming homeless, you never want that to be an option. But sometimes it's the only way out.
"There are good places like Rock Trust and Nightstop that do help young people like me to get back on their feet and find them somewhere to get out of it."
Niamh now lives in supported accommodation in Bathgate, West Lothian, and will begin a childcare course at college in the coming weeks.
Gordon Cameron has hosted seven young homeless people with Nightstop
Gordon Cameron has hosted seven young people for Nightstop over two-and-a-half years.
The alternative option for homeless youth would be a council-funded bed and breakfast.
Mr Cameron said: "Generally, those are used for a variety of different people, perhaps someone who's just been released after being sentenced or someone who has addiction problems.
"And generally they're a lot older than someone like Niamh who was still at school, so putting her in that environment could be detrimental.
"This gives the council a chance to assess the individual properly and find the best possible place for them when they leave here."
Neglect at home
Niamh turned up at Mr Cameron's door with her belongings stuffed in plastic bags.
He said: "For a young 16-year-old to suddenly be faced with homelessness and living with a stranger, it must've been quite daunting for her."
He said the main reason young people accessed the service was neglect at home.
"You don't always know the full circumstances or the background of what the individual has gone through that leads them up to the point of coming to your house, so you do have to tread very carefully," he said.
"You just want to create a safe, quiet space for the individual who comes to stay here."
Moreen Watson encourages potential volunteer hosts to come forward
Moreen Watson, Nightstop development co-ordinator for Rock Trust, fears the cost of living crisis may lead to demand far outweighing its supply of safe accommodation.
She said the charity "urgently" needed more volunteer hosts, external to ensure the safety of at-risk young people.
Ms Watson said the cost of living crisis was "putting more and more strain on families and the main reason that young people find themselves homeless is relationship breakdown".
She added: "I think this is just going to compound things even more, as people struggling financially and being unable to cope can lead to all kinds of issues at home."
The charity currently has about 20 hosts in Edinburgh and West Lothian.