Help keep Edinburgh’s night time economy safe by voting for Street Assist Edinburgh this May

This May, Street Assist Edinburgh are one of the four charities participating in our monthly charity poll. They will be competing to win 20% of My Favourite Voucher Codes profits, hoping to get the most votes from the public in order to win! Find out more about Street Assist below and see how your vote helps keep the Edinburgh night time economy safe. 

Street Assist Edinburgh operate in the Edinburgh city centre from 10pm until 4am every Friday and Saturday. They provide non-judgemental welfare and first aid to those who become vulnerable during the night-time economy hours, ensuring they get home safe.  Through working with venues and partnering with Police Scotland, they are able to reduce the number of people presenting at Accident and Emergency unnecessarily and reduce the pressure on our Emergency Services.  Since 2017, they have assisted over 5400 people with less than 20% needing referral to the Emergency Services. This roughly equates to a £4.5million saving across the Police, Ambulance Service and NHS. 

Who do Street Assist Edinburgh help?

Each weekend, thousands of people head out to socialise and enjoy the night-time economy across the Edinburgh City Centre – but what happens when things don’t go to plan? Maybe your phone has run out of charge and you can’t get home or maybe you’ve got separated from your friends with no way to contact them or maybe that last vodka and lemonade was one too many? That’s where Street Assist Edinburgh can help.  60 volunteers give up their time over the weekend to patrol the city centre  supporting those who have become vulnerable and in many cases helping to prevent it occurring in the first place. 

Street Assist Edinburgh is there to help people in their moment of crisis. This can involve those who have overconsumed drink or drugs, are suffering from mental health issues, victims of assault, sexual assault, domestic abuse, have minor injuries or need some help navigating the busy Edinburgh city centre.  All of this is with the aim of making sure that people don’t come to further harm and they have a safe route home. 

What do Street Assist Edinburgh Do to Help?

Weekend Delivery: They take referrals from members of the public and public bodies such as Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Community Wardens, Taxi Services and Pubs and Clubs through their dedicated phoneline.  Teams of volunteers can then be deployed to attend the call and provide the service user with the help they need. This ranges from providing emergency first aid to welfare such as emotional support and directions.  Since 2017, there have been 1197 instances where first aid has been provided, with 3 of these being potentially life-saving interventions. The volunteers care for the service users, ensuring their safety and wellbeing whilst trying to arrange the safest route home for them. This can be through helping arrange a taxi, a lift from family/friends or in some instances using the charity’s dedicated patient transport vehicle to take the service users home or to the hospital. 

Community Action: Not only do they work directly with the public to care for the vulnerable through their weekend delivery model, they also work with organisations and public bodies to promote a safer night-time economy.  Street Assist participate in consultations such as the Women’s Safety in Public Places and are in partnership with Police Scotland as part of Operation Nightguard.  They have also been part of a recent advertising campaign at city centre bus stops and are currently working on a taxi campaign which will involve a dedicated fund for the charity to use for service users. 

Training and Development: 40% of volunteers are student paramedics who must complete a third sector placement as part of their degree course. Street Assist Edinburgh provides them with the opportunity to practice their skills and gives them experience of working with the public, radio communications, logistics management and leadership.  All volunteers at Street Assist complete mandatory training such as First Aid, Mental Health, Bystander Training and Human Trafficking Awareness.  

How can I support Street Assist Edinburgh?

Your support is essential to keeping Street Assist Edinburgh running. The delivery of Street Assist is delivered 100% by volunteers and on average it costs £80,000 per year to provide their service. With only part of the costs covered by grants, the remainder has to be made up through donations and fundraising activity. 

This month Street Assist Edinburgh is taking part in our May charity poll. That means that if they get the most votes by the public, they win 20% of our profits for this month. You can help them win this donation by going to our Homepage and voting in the poll on the right-hand side (or at the bottom of the page if you’re on a mobile). 

Our charity poll is only one way to support Street Assist Edinburgh, you can also support them through donations, fundraisers and corporate sponsorships. 

Want to help further? Why not register your interest in becoming a volunteer. You’ll get the opportunity to directly support keeping Edinburgh City Centre safe whilst learning valuable life-saving skills and making friends along the way!

How Can I Contact Street Assist Edinburgh?

The easiest way to get in touch with the Street Assist Edinburgh is by sending an email to info@streetassist.co.uk or filling out the Contact form on their website.

You can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram to keep up to date with their latest news and campaigns. 

Don’t be shy, they’d love to hear from you!

Have Street Assist Edinburgh done enough to convince you?  If so, make sure to cast your free vote for them in the poll and share with your family and friends. The poll is open from 1st May 2023 to 31st May 2023.