A CHARITY worker is reaching out to people in Barrhead and East Renfrewshire who face life on the streets, to let them know they are not forgotten.

Russell Macmillan, founder of East Renfrewshire Good Causes (ERGC), which includes the ERGC Store, told the Barrhead News that, prior to setting up the charity, he didn’t think homelessness was an issue in this area – assuming it was more of a Glasgow city centre problem.

He said there are more than 250 cases across East Renfrewshire every year – with causes ranging from alcohol and substance abuse to martial breakdown, fleeing domestic abuse and severe debt.

He said: “I was shocked to discover the scale of the homeless problem right here on our own doorstep.”

Mr Macmillan, who is registered blind and once underwent a life-saving kidney and pancreas transplant, said that unless someone is deemed to have made themselves “intentionally homeless”, East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) has a legal duty to help. provide a “roof over someone’s head”.

He continued: “The ERGC Store is an attempt to show the unfortunate people, sometimes homeless, that as a community we do care about them, especially in their time of need.

“Often through no fault of their own, people turn up at the council and present as homeless, invariably after spending long periods trying to save their current property and racking up unsustainable debts in the process.

“Many working people on relatively low wages, and often topped up by tax credits, find it almost impossible to save, sometimes due to increasing rental costs, particularly the private sector.

“Many hard-working people with little or no savings can find themselves homeless as a result of a private landlord wishing to sell up and release their capital.

“With such a lack of affordable housing in our area, it is no surprise that there is an ongoing increase in hard-working people ending up homeless, again through no fault of their own.”

Russell and ERGC have started collecting every day items which can be made available to vulnerable people. Mr Macmillan explained the charity receives applications from 'frontline' workers like homeless team staff, care and social workers and teachers, outlining people they think could do with an extra bit of help.

He said: “Toiletries for people trying to help themselves have been given to ERGC, either by donations at the different collection points, including Royal Bank of Scotland branches and local Co-op stores, or they have been collected in by other groups like the Brownies using a reverse advent, Sounds International or churches like Broom Parish Church, which collected at Christmas.

“These collections can take forward planning to organise and I am hopeful other groups and churches may consider collecting toiletries during the Christmas period for distributing amongst our own community via the ERGC store.”

“Let’s try and show our deserving neighbours that we do care about them, especially if they have become a victim of our growing homelessness problem here in East Renfrewshire.”

According to Mr Macmillan’s research, eight per cent of the properties in East Renfrewshire are socially rented by ERC. A total of 1,470 properties – four per cent – are socially rented by Barrhead Housing Association.

Meanwhile, 30,830 properties are owner occupied, which amounts to 82 per cent of all of East Renfrewshire’s properties.

An ERC spokesman said: “The council has a duty to provide temporary accommodation to any resident presenting as homeless, before a decision is made on what future accommodation is offered.

“All applications are then rigorously assessed against national guidance to establish the suitable course of action. In order to be offered a permanent property, we must consider whether the person is homeless or threatened with homelessness, whether the person is intentionally homeless and whether they have a connection with East Renfrewshire.

“We are committed to working closely with residents to prevent homelessness occurring and would encourage anyone who feels they may be at risk of homelessness to contact the council for advice and information.”

For more information, contact the charity on 0141 639 8230.