Fresh Start

Fresh Start Fresh Start provides a range of services that support the resettlement of homeless people in the community.

For detailed information on who we are and the work we do please visit our website: www.freshstartweb.org.uk Fresh Start is a registered Scottish Charity (SCO29184), helping those who have experienced homelessness establish themselves in their new home and community. Through involving volunteers and organisations from a broad section of the community, we deliver a range of services that provide essential household goods, practical and social support that helps people resettle successfully.

Partnerships are at their best when they grow, evolve and create a lasting impact 🤝A couple of years ago, the team at KP...
21/08/2026

Partnerships are at their best when they grow, evolve and create a lasting impact 🤝

A couple of years ago, the team at KPMG's Edinburgh office approached Fresh Start with a simple idea: to host a food drive to support our Community Pantry and Food Starter Packs. Those initial donations helped us stock our Pantry, enabling people in the local community to access food with choice and dignity. They also helped us provide Food Starter Packs, ensuring people moving into a new home had some basic food in their cupboards to help them get started 🏠💙

Fast forward a couple of years, and we’re delighted that the relationship has gone from strength to strength. We now regularly welcome the KPMG team to Fresh Start to volunteer, giving colleagues the opportunity to get hands-on, learn more about our work and gain an insight into the people and communities we support.

The team have also continued to support our fundraising appeals and help raise awareness of homelessness in Edinburgh and the work Fresh Start does to support people to make a home for themselves.

This is a fantastic example of a partnership working well — organisations coming together with a shared purpose to make a positive difference in the communities where we live and work.

A huge thank you to everyone at KPMG for your support over the years. We’re incredibly grateful for the partnership and look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead 💙

We're thrilled to share that we've been selected to receive funding through Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network...
21/08/2026

We're thrilled to share that we've been selected to receive funding through Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network’s 2026–27 Greenlight Fund, in support of our Growing Spaces service💚🙌

This grant supports programs that create practical and creative opportunities for members of the community to engage with climate and nature in their everyday lives.

Thank you to ECCAN for their kind and impactful support!🌟

Thank you for supporting the Fresh Start Pantry!✨ As the summer holidays come to an end, we're feeling very grateful to ...
19/08/2026

Thank you for supporting the Fresh Start Pantry!✨

As the summer holidays come to an end, we're feeling very grateful to everyone who supported our Holiday Hunger programme this summer. Your donations ensured that families in our community had enough food during the school break.

As a result of the increased demand over the holidays, our Community Pantry stock levels are running low.😓

You can support our Community Pantry re-stock by donating non-perishable food items. Every donation makes a difference, helping the people we work with to access affordable food.💙

Donations can be dropped off at the Fresh Start Warehouse on Ferry Road Drive (9-4 Monday-Thursday, 9-1 on Fridays).

💙 Volunteer Spotlight: Ewan 💙Today it's time for one of our incredible volunteers, Ewan, to step into the spotlight! Ewa...
18/08/2026

💙 Volunteer Spotlight: Ewan 💙

Today it's time for one of our incredible volunteers, Ewan, to step into the spotlight! Ewan started volunteering with us about a year and a half ago, taking part in our Growing Spaces programme, before offering his support with service user feedback calls. In this new role, Ewan is doing an amazing job - his ability to make people feel comfortable and gather key insights to feed back to our services is so appreciated and important 🙌

Ewan began volunteering with us after experiencing a period of homelessness himself, during which time he was supported by Fresh Start's services. "[I] was helped by Fresh Start with settling into my new home, with the Starter Packs, the Fresh Rooms service and even White Goods that were not provided in the house initially. All of this registered strongly with me despite what I was going through, and so when I managed to settle in to my home, I was keen with some of my spare time to help people locally who had helped me. I had very much needed support, so I knew likewise others did too."

When asked what his favourite thing is about volunteering with Fresh Start, Ewan says that he enjoys "feeling that the work I do is of some consequence and is needed." He adds that one of the things he's noticed over his time at Fresh Start is the power of community. "Communities spring up around shared needs or wants - almost all of the ways that Fresh Start looks to empower people reflect this. If people can believe in something then it can start to grow, and so it is my belief that it is vital to support people in what they need, and give them hope. The community will follow."

Please join us in thanking Ewan for his wonderful work 👏

Could your community make a difference to Fresh Start? 💙 Fundraising for Fresh Start is a great way to bring your friend...
17/08/2026

Could your community make a difference to Fresh Start? 💙

Fundraising for Fresh Start is a great way to bring your friends, family and neighbours together, while making a difference to the lives of people moving on from homelessness.

You could bring people together at a coffee morning, get creative at a crafternoon, or get the kids involved in a sponsored reading challenge - the options are endless! Every pound raised is spent on our services, making sure that the people we work with can settle into their new homes with dignity. 🏠

Check out our Community Fundraising Guide below for some fundraising tips and tricks, or email [email protected] if you'd like to discuss fundraising for Fresh Start. 👇

Fresh Start Community Fundraising & Individual Giving Information Pack (2026)

📣 SMALL HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES NEEDED!We're calling out for new and pre-loved essentials for our Starter Packs, as our sto...
14/08/2026

📣 SMALL HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES NEEDED!

We're calling out for new and pre-loved essentials for our Starter Packs, as our stock of items like kettles, toasters, lamps, irons and other small household appliances is running very low.

We greatly appreciate any and all donations, which help to support those moving on from homelessness in Edinburgh. A full list of accepted (and not-accepted) items can be found on our website: https://ow.ly/WPN050ZzlUi

If you have items to donate, they can be dropped off to our warehouse at 22-24 Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh EH4 4BR, during the following hours:

Monday - Thursday: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Friday: 9:00am - 1:00pm

Can't make it to our warehouse? Reach out to the team at [email protected] with your postcode and what you're planning to donate, and we'll share the details of your closest alternative drop off location with you.

Thank you for your support - every donation makes a huge difference! 💙

Introducing the Trowel Blazers…🪏The Trowel Blazers are a team from Fresh Start's Growing Spaces service, which offers pe...
13/08/2026

Introducing the Trowel Blazers…🪏

The Trowel Blazers are a team from Fresh Start's Growing Spaces service, which offers people moving on from homelessness the opportunity to get outside, build confidence, connect with a community and grow fresh produce. Next month, they're taking on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk to support the work that Fresh Start is doing across the city!

Some of the team have experienced homelessness themselves, and know first-hand the difference that support from Fresh Start can make. They have all felt the impact of our work, and love spending time together in the gardens, helping to grow and harvest the fruit and vegetables. 🥕

The money the Trowel Blazers raise by doing the Kiltwalk will be used to support our services. Check out their JustGiving page using the link below. 👇

https://ow.ly/yojs50Zy2EW

Celebrating International Youth Day 2026 🫶👫At Fresh Start, we understand that so much of our work supports not only adul...
12/08/2026

Celebrating International Youth Day 2026 🫶👫

At Fresh Start, we understand that so much of our work supports not only adults moving on from homelessness, but many young people as well, with 21% of children in Edinburgh living in poverty in 2025. Being based in North Edinburgh also means that we support an incredibly diverse community of people, including many who have arrived in Edinburgh seeking refuge and a fresh start after very challenging circumstances.

The theme of International Youth Day this year is 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations', recognising that while young people’s lives are shaped by different circumstances all over the world, their hopes and dreams are often very similar. Across countries and communities, young people are looking for opportunity, meaningful participation, access to work, quality education, and a sustainable future.

We're proud to support many young people across Edinburgh to achieve these goals via our Community Pantry and Starter Packs services, as well as through our Christmas Present Appeal, and partnerships with other organisations, like The Rock Trust. Through our participation in NESSie, we also collaborate with government at a local and national level, to push for wider support and positive social change for those living in poverty 🤝

On this International Youth Day, we'd also like to give a special shoutout to all the young people who support us throughout the year, through the YPI programme, or through donation drives and fundraising at school or community groups. Your care for the community and passion for change is inspiring! 💙

⭐ Staff Spotlight: Calum R ⭐Today we're shining a spotlight on our wonderful Business Manager, Calum! Joining the Fresh ...
11/08/2026

⭐ Staff Spotlight: Calum R ⭐

Today we're shining a spotlight on our wonderful Business Manager, Calum! Joining the Fresh Start team two years ago, Calum is well known around the office, and the community, for his kindness, warmth, and commitment to helping people out whenever he can. Having fundraised for Fresh Start for the first time in 2019, Calum started out as our Admin & Finance Assistant before being promoted to Business Manager just a few months later 👏

Calum has been passionate about Fresh Start's work since before he joined the team, having experienced the positive impact services like ours can have during his own childhood. He loves working alongside staff and volunteers who share this passion, noting that his favourite part of the job is "working with our amazing staff team who are great and all have a real passion for what we do." He also says that "knowing what we do makes a genuine difference to peoples lives and gives them the hope they need to start again" is what makes the work so fulfilling.

While Calum's main role is supporting the day-to-day operations of our organisation, his time in and out of work is spent wearing many hats in support of both Fresh Start, and the wider community. As one of two mental health first-aiders in the office, and a facilitator for Andys Man Club, Calum says one of the most important things he has learnt while working at Fresh Start is that "You never truly know what's going on in someone's life so it is vital that we treat everyone with respect and empathy." Last year, Calum also raised an incredible £2350 for Fresh Start across the year by completing 1x physical challenge per month 💪

Alongside all of the above, Calum is also known around Fresh Start for his love of motivational quotes. Whether it's on his t-shirt or jumper, or shared in our team group chat, Calum is always ready with some words of hope and support. When we asked him what his favourite motivational quote is, he said:

"Can I use the whole speech from Rocky Balboa? I love that speech it's so motivating! If not lets go with 'Tough times don't last, tough people do'. For me it's a nice nod to yourself to realise you are stronger than you realise but also knowing that the storm will pass and you'll get through it."

Please join us in say a big, huge THANK YOU to Calum for all his hard work and kindness - we'd be lost without you Calum! 💙

Vote for Fresh Start! 🗳️ Fresh Start has been shortlisted for the Tesco Fruit and Veg Grant, which supports local projec...
10/08/2026

Vote for Fresh Start! 🗳️

Fresh Start has been shortlisted for the Tesco Fruit and Veg Grant, which supports local projects that provide healthy food to children and young people. Shortlisted charities will receive a grant of £500, £1000 or £1500, which we will use to fund our Holiday Hunger programme.

The Holiday Hunger programme is an extended Pantry membership, which supports families to manage the increase in groceries during school holidays. We offer free fruit and vegetables as part of the membership to ensure that everyone can enjoy healthy snacks over the holiday weeks! 🍏

The grants are awarded through a public vote that anyone shopping at Tesco can take part in! You can vote for Fresh Start using the blue tokens at the Tesco stores below 👇

🛒 South Queensferry Superstore (EH30 9QZ)
🛒 Davidson Mains Superstore (EH4 6AA)
🛒 Queensferry Road Express (EH4 7QD)

Every token counts - we'd love to have your vote! 💙

Address

22-24 Ferry Road Drive
Edinburgh
EH44BR

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+441314767741

Website

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