Right There, a charity dedicated to preventing homelessness across Scotland, is this week (8th – 12th September) welcoming a group of young people from their partner programme with charity Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD) to their Orkney office as part of a new drive to help more young people across the region, who are growing up around substance use.

There will be a drop-in session on Tuesday 10th September 10am – 12pm at Right There’s office (18 Queen Street, Kirkwall) for anyone who wants to come along.

The Routes programme supports young people aged 12-26 through a mix of one-to-one sessions, group work, and social activities, to help them build confidence and self-esteem, develop meaningful connections, and realise the positive future they truly deserve.

The visitors, who have taken part in the SFAD Routes programme in other areas of Scotland, are hoping that by sharing their positive stories with young people from similar backgrounds, they will help Right There reach more young people across Orkney. They particularly hope to encourage referrals from teachers, social workers and other professionals who think that a young person in their care may benefit from extra support.

Right There’s Orkney Locality Manager Ann Clark said:

“We have been up and running in Orkney for just over a year, and now our programme has been well established we want to promote it as far and wide as we can. The voices of our young people are at the heart of what we do, and they can get as much or as little support as they need, doing anything from making and attending appointments to spending time doing arts and crafts. Our support team are incredible and have already made a lasting impact on the lives of many young people, and now we want to help even more”.

Right There helps almost 4,000 children, adults, and families every year across Scotland who have been affected by poverty, homelessness, addiction, childhood trauma and other major life events. The charity has grown from a grassroots movement called Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement formed in 1824, before becoming YMCA Glasgow for 160 years and thereafter Ypeople. In 2022, the charity changed its name to Right There to reflect its approach to supporting one person at a time.

Right There is marking its 200th anniversary and is delivering a programme of activity to raise awareness of Scotland’s national housing crisis, while pledging to extend its support more individuals experiencing homelessness or who are separated from the people they love.

Earlier this year, Right There launched a groundbreaking study into its impact, revealing that it generates over £300m of savings every year for the public purse, through its unique approach to preventing and tackling homelessness, and in November will host a Garden Lobby reception in the Scottish Parliament.

Find out more about Right There’s ‘2000 More: Our Anniversary Pledge’ at: www.rightthere.org or get involved on social media by searching ‘Right There’.