Eatery and homeless charity pool skill set - Sophie Bell


Official homelessness statistics show that the number of live homelessness applications in Edinburgh is rising at a worrying rate in Edinburgh. In November last year Edinburgh City Council formally declared a “Housing Emergency” months before the Scottish Parliament declared one nationwide.
Behind these statistics are thousands of real people desperately relying on a system of support which is pushed to its limits. To halt and reverse these shocking trends –– Cyrenians is harnessing the reach and expertise of the businesses setting up in Edinburgh’s rejuvenated city centre.
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Hide AdOne such partnership is with renowned steak restaurant Hawksmoor, which has been working closely with Cyrenians since 2021.


Through special menu items and skill sharing volunteer days, Hawksmoor staff have contributed over 50 hours of their time and raised over £11,400 to date – boosting the confidence and the employment prospects of participants and providing funds to support skills development and tackle homelessness more widely.
Providing opportunities for people to learn new skills is vital to Cyrenians’ approach to ending homelessness. We know that insecure housing is often the catalyst for, or result of, other major life changes like redundancy, relationship breakdown or poor health. This can leave people without confidence or a sense of where they are headed next, as their everyday becomes about ensuring their most immediate needs are met.
Working with Hawksmoor chefs, who ran skill sharing sessions at our Cook School, allowed participants to gain professional kitchen skills and build confidence. One of these sessions, run by Hawksmoor Head Chef Mike, was attended by Kevin who has volunteered at the Cyrenians Cook School since 2021. There he learnt professional knife skills and – as a result - has since found employment in local hospitality, round the corner from his new home.
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Hide AdHawksmoor benefits from this partnership too. Hawksmoor staff have enjoyed motivational teambuilding experiences - including preparing orders of surplus food for redistribution in the local community and getting their hands dirty at Cyrenians’ Green Skills centre for outdoor learning. This has also helped the team build a greater awareness of the complexities and challenges faced by vulnerable individuals and families in Edinburgh, challenges that can also crop up within the wider work force and their day-to-day roles.
Alarmingly, the number of people becoming homeless continues to increase in our capital city, while public funds steadily reduce. Scotland should be a place where people facing tough times get the support they need before they hit crisis, with homelessness prevented whenever possible.
In practical terms, Edinburgh and East and Midlothian are expected to require an additional 54,700 jobs by 2025. One of the sectors experiencing the most growth in jobs will be Food Service. With Edinburgh’s hospitality industry booming, the city needs more people with the skills and experience that Kevin now has, so that businesses like Hawksmoor can continue to thrive for years to come.
This innovative partnership taps into rich non-monetary resources that strengthen the Edinburgh hospitality industry and enables Cyrenians to provide life changing and life-saving support in the face of a homelessness crisis.