The following is a message from Ann McLaughlan of Bethany Christian Trust;

Dear Fellow Chamber Members,

I am looking for some help. We have a young person service based in Bathgate, which offers residential support to young people aged between 16 -25. This service is open to any young person who may find themselves without a roof over their heads, due to family breakdown, mental health issues etc .Our staff offer housing, employment and benefit advice to residents as well as ongoing support when they manage to get their first tenancy.

How can you help?

It is with this in mind, that I ask you to look at a corporate donation of a “move on van” for example a Ford Transit Van, when the young people are ready to embark on the next part of their journey out of homelessness. This arose through feedback from one of our young people who recently moved to a tenancy in Livingston and he had difficulty in sourcing appropriate transport with limited funds available to him to hire a van. If it was possible to consider this idea of a “move on” van, it would be utilised to other agencies in the area who also deal with young people moving on to their own tenancies. We find that young people not having transport to move the goods that they have a huge stumbling block, and the experience they have already been though is traumatic enough, never mind having to leave behind the only goods they have. We have paid for the hire of a van and man in the past, but this is an expensive way to do it. Over the past year throughout all the agencies I come in contact with there have been around 95 young people move on to their own tenancy, and they all face the same problem when moving. I also think this could even be developed into a bit of a social enterprise…charging pay customers for ‘man with van’ type services … utilizing the profits to allow lower income households free use.
If you have a second hand van that you would be willing to donate to us, we would also be very grateful.
If there is any offer of support you can give us then please call Ann McLaughlan, Bethany Corporate Fundraiser on 07436151143.