Homelessness charity Cyrenians changed Scottish rock star's life and you can help it change more
Del Amitri guitarist Iain Hardie had a life-changing experience after deciding to take a breaking from an architecture degree
For those with a home, it’s relatively easy to ignore homelessness. However, there are some who go out of their way to help. People like Iain Harvie.
In 1982, the then 20-year-old took time out of an architecture degree and began volunteering at homelessness charity Cyrenians. It was, he tells The Scotsman, a life-changing experience that gave him the “worldliness” to later answer an advert looking for musicians – and go on to find global fame as a member of the band Del Amitri.
As a live-in volunteer, he mixed with people coming out of prison and recovering from addiction. “It was a totally democratic community. There was no distinction between the people that volunteered and the people who were there not necessarily through choice,” he said.
This year’s Scotsman Christmas appeal is raising money for Cyrenians, a charity that provides people with a place to stay but also face-to-face advice and the feeling of being part of a community once again – an experience that clearly can be profound for all those who experience it.
If you are able, please consider making a donation at cyrenians.scot/donate.
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