Happy St Andrew’s Day! Yes, the time has come again for not only a Scottish holiday (Way hay!) but a celebration in the name of our patron saint of Scotland, St Andrew.
Patron saints are specifically chosen to be special protectors, or guardians if you like, over things. St Andrew watches over all of us Scots. In fact, the Scotland flag has an X-shaped cross on it, as it’s the symbol of St Andrew.
We feel it’s a great chance to also be that “wee bit mare” proud about being Scottish, or the country that many of you from elsewhere now call home.
We want to celebrate St Andrew’s Day by telling the world how us wonderful people in Scotland are taking a bit of time on the 30th November to show some kindness to others, because that’s part of who we are as a country.
In honour of this legendary man, we’d like to ask you all to do one act of kindness so that we can all say we inspire to be more like St Andrew. We really value our volunteers at Shelter Scotland but we recognise that not everyone has the time for a regular commitment. In less than an hour, and with no forms to fill in, you can make a real difference for people affected by bad housing or homelessness.
Here’s some ways you can make a difference in less than an hour:
- In less than 1 minute you can get more information on how we are still fighting to ensure everyone has a home and sign up as a Shelter Scotland supporter.
- In 2 minutes you can save our helpline number in your phone and give it to anybody you chat to who is experiencing urgent housing issues or homelessness – 0808 800 4444.
- In 5 minutes you can download and print our ‘Housing Help’ cards and give them to people who need some advice about their housing situation.
- In 10 minutes you can use your social media accounts to express your concern about our current housing crisis. Consider following us and sharing our posts on our social media channels, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- In 15 minutes you can smile at or stop to chat to someone sleeping rough, if you feel safe and comfortable doing so. You can also check local arrangements for them to present as homeless to the local council.
- In 50 minutes you can clear out your wardrobe and donate unwanted clothes or household goods to your local Shelter Scotland shop. Find out where your local shop is.
- In less than an hour you can find out what it is like to volunteer in one of our shops. Visit your local Shelter Scotland shop and ask to take part in a 50 minute volunteering taster session.
Whatever you do, give yourself a pat on the back for your little act with a big impact, and have a very happy St Andrew’s Day.