Hawick Salvation Army sees growing need for support

The Salvation Army in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick is seeing more people than ever turning to them for emergency support.

Captain Caroline Brophy-Parkin runs the church and charity’s community work, which provides a range of programmes for people who are struggling with their finances and mental health issues.

She said: “We are seeing a lot more people, particularly people with jobs, looking for help. Rising costs are affecting every aspect of their daily life. We have people who are working good jobs coming to us saying they can’t afford to eat. It’s heart-breaking. 

“People’s salaries aren’t going up but their outgoings definitely are. We are seeing a lot of people who are on shorter-hour contracts who are really struggling to afford to live.

“When the food bank began more than 10 years ago we did around 300 food parcels a year. In 2023 we gave out 1600 food parcels. That is for a town with a population of 14,000 people. 

“We can see the growing need, which is why we do more than just give out food parcels. We want to help people tackle the complex reasons they turn to us for support in the first place. We run a range of programmes throughout the week from our church on Croft Road to our community hub in Burnfoot. These programmes look to tackle the main problems people in this community face. Issues such as poverty, debt, unemployment and mental health. We also work closely with substance use groups as well so that we can signpost people to the right support. 

“We couldn’t do what we do without the generosity and support of people and businesses in Hawick. I know many people who give to us have their own financial struggles but find a way to keep giving. It’s incredible.” 

The Salvation Army in Hawick provides the following support: 
Daily food bank (Croft Road)
Mental health support group (Burnfoot)
Social Group for woman (Croft Road)
Toddler group (Croft Road and Burnfoot)
Debt advice service (Burnfoot)
Drop-in (Burnfoot)
Friday - Early years outreach at local schools and community garden (Burnfoot)
Coffee Morning (Croft Road)
Monthly Lego club (Burnfoot) 
Charity shop - Monday 10am to 4pm, Tuesday-Friday 9.30am to 4pm and Saturday - 10am to 1pm. 

For more information or to donate to The Salvation Army visit: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/scotland-office | Email: hawick@salvationarmy.org.uk or phone: 01450 378612.