The Salvation Army Scotland

The Salvation Army has recently published a new report on homelessness in Scotland. The report, Breaking The Cycle, was officially launched at the Holyrood parliament at an event sponsored by Monica Lennon MSP.

The Salvation Army Breaking the Cycle event

The Scotland Communications and Public Affairs Advisory Group was established to provide a strategic forum for discussion, alignment and advice on cross-cutting public affairs and communications issues affecting Scotland. The group provides direction, insight, and co-ordinate on broad strategic communication matters in Scotland. The group is chaired by Major David Burns.

We represent The Salvation Army at a national level in Scotland, and collaborates with the two Scotland divisions: Central & Southern Scotland and North Scotland.

Breaking the Cycle Report

The Salvation Army has published a new report on homelessness called "Breaking the Cycle." More information can be found on the Breaking the Cycle report page.

What we do

Engage with the Scottish Parliament by responding to proposed legislation and highlighting policy issues. We also work closely with The Salvation Army Public Affairs Unit in London.

Work with other Christian denominations at a national level as a member of the Scottish Christian Forum and other bodies especially the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office. We also work with Interfaith Scotland and with Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees (SFAR).

Coordinate between our internal services to provide a voice in the Parliamentary and Ecumenical arenas.

Liaise with the front-line services of The Salvation Army in Scotland;.

73 church and community centres that, in addition to Sunday worship, offer a range of activities: cafés, breakfast clubs and lunch clubs; charity shops and furniture recycling projects; clubs for children, for youth and for senior citizens; drop-in centres; food banks, food parcels and food distribution; job clubs; parents & toddlers groups and playgroups; street projects.
Homeless services including;
- 9 Lifehouses
- 4 outreach support centres
- 2 Housing First services
- a wellbeing centre
- a community hub
emergency response services
a family tracing service
a centre for adults with learning disabilities
a debt advice service
an employability and training service

In 2009, the leaders of The Salvation Army requested the development of a Scotland Drug & Alcohol (Addiction) Strategy which was then formally launched in 2013 to support communities affected by addictions. The service is now established across five key areas that have been identified through the needs of the communities. Our approach, rooted in a Christian Approach to Harm Reduction, focuses on positive change and on building relationships and safety with people, without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop their behaviour as a pre-condition of support.

In the last 2 years, we have supported 130 individuals and families across Scotland. Our services aim to respond to social need, working with people at their point of need with a person-centred approach. The programmes are voluntary, unconditional and flexible to support service users with one to one support, therapeutic groupwork and meaningful activities available.

Since 2017, we have partnered with the University of Stirling to establish the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research (SACASR). This collaboration has led to a number of exciting research opportunities to develop The Salvation Army’s addictions work and has allowed our services to be involved in new and innovative research projects that impact the wider sector. This has included research on staff wellbeing during the pandemic, managed alcohol programmes, Housing First and supporting harm reduction through peer support. We also have a number of staff undertaking the MSc in Substance Use at the University of Stirling, which enhances their personal professional development, and creates sustainable growth within our workforce.

We help people take control of their finances and work towards becoming debt‑free, offering compassionate and holistic support. We take time to understand each person’s situation, identify the root causes of financial difficulty, and provide practical help. These include supporting with benefit checks and grant applications and providing food or fuel vouchers. We deal with urgent issues, contact creditors, and request breathing spaces so clients can focus on their next steps. We then work with our clients and empower them to choose the path that’s right for them.

For more information and where to find your nearest support please click the link, Debt Advice Services.

The Salvation Army is committed to supporting people in our communities exploring spirituality while in recovery from addiction, health conditions, and life struggles.

Each Core Recovery community shares a common desire to explore how faith can impact recovery. Meetings are delivered in a variety of settings including corps, Lifehouses and fresh expressions, as well as in partnership with other churches. Each meeting offers:

Hospitality: Providing food and drink, and practising inclusivity.
Sharing: Allowing space for people to talk about their experiences and develop deeper supportive relationships.
A Bible element: Using Scripture that is accessible, relevant, and explores the positive impact of knowing Jesus.
A focus on recovery: Looking at ways to maintain a recovery lifestyle.

We can provide support including guidance, resources, training and our prayer network, The Heartbeat Strand.

If you are interested in becoming part of our network, contact corerecovery@salvationarmy.org.uk.