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About Us

Glasgow Simon Community (GSC) has been working with and for people experiencing homelessness in Glasgow for 40 years.  An estimated 3,000 women and men use the services offered by the GSC each year, and our work encompasses issues around addiction, mental health, social inclusion, employability, literacy & numeracy, and volunteering, amongst others.  

 

Despite the huge changes in the city and in homelessness, the values of the volunteers who set up the first GSC house nearly four decades ago are more important than ever:  person-centred services, a non-judgemental approach, a commitment to involving service users in shaping future strategy and the direction of the organisation.

 

Our range of services aims to offer a “continuum of care” to people experiencing homelessness, enabling them to access the services they require when appropriate.  With the support we can offer we can help people make informed choices to develop a route out of homelessness, and become an active part of their local community.

The first Simon Community was established in London in 1964 by Anton Wallich-Clifford, a probation officer who aimed to offer a positive alternative to people caught in the vicious circle of sleeping rough, short prison sentences and short spells in hospital.

The Simon Community came to Glasgow in 1966. Danny G., a meths drinker who had spent time in the London Simon House, returned to Glasgow when he heard his father was ill, and after a period of stability ran into difficulties.

In response to a plea from Danny's mother two volunteers from the London Simon Community came up to Glasgow.

With the help of Dr Donald of Alcoholics Anonymous in Glasgow, they established the first Glasgow Simon House to make a contribution towards what they saw as a short-term problem – the number of people sleeping rough in the city.

Forty years on, the need for Glasgow Simon Community's services – and the number of people using them – is greater than ever.

The level of change since 1966 is, and continues to be, massive. What has not changed is our person-centred non-judgemental approach, nor our commitment to involving service users in shaping the future strategy and direction of the organisation.

Our development above all recognises many individuals do not simply lack a roof over their head but often have additional issues that need to be addressed.

We estimate around 3,000 individuals a year benefit from the assistance of the Community’s services - not just practical help to those most in need on the streets, but a growing spectrum of projects offering longer-term support to help people move away permanently from homelessness and become more confident in their ability to manage their own lives.