How Rock Trust is changing the future for young people in Scotland
Key Takeaways
- Rock Trust has supported young people facing homelessness since 1991, offering youth-focused services shaped by lived experience and real needs.
- The charity helps over 1,000 young people each year across Scotland through prevention, housing support, wellbeing, and employability programmes.
- Their approach focuses on making youth homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring by tackling root causes early rather than relying on short-term fixes.
- Rock Trust delivers trauma-informed, youth-led services including supported accommodation, outreach, early intervention, and Youth Housing Hubs.
- Young people aged 16–25 who are homeless or at risk can contact Rock Trust for advice and support by phone, email, or through their website enquiry form.
We are proud to have Rock Trust as ESPC’s charity partner. Though several initiatives we are working alongside the charity in their mission to help end youth homelessness in Scotland.
Joanne Simpson, Partnership Lead at Rock Trust shares how the vital support the organisation provides is helping to save young people from homelessness.
Can you tell us a bit about the history of Rock Trust?
“Rock Trust began in 1991, when it was discovered that homeless young people had been sleeping rough in the graveyard of St. Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh. The Council of West End Churches was shocked by this harsh reality and moved to act. At the time the council at the time owned a flat occupied by friars. One of them, Brother Basil, set out to publicise the issue of youth homelessness and raise funds. His energy turned an ambition into reality, and in 1991, Rock Trust was formed.
In February 1993, as a direct consequence of that determination to do something, and an anonymous donation of £100,000, a flat was opened for homeless young people, with three more opening later in the year, forming the Bedrock supported accommodation service, which still operates today.”
What attracted you to work for Rock Trust?
“I started working at Rock Trust in 2020, just as the pandemic hit, and was drawn to the organisation for many reasons- one of the biggest being that youth participation is so important to Rock Trust. The services that our teams provide are heavily influenced by the young people that we work with, from staff interviews to service design. Every day, I see the different ways that these extraordinary young people work with our incredible teams of staff. I’m so proud to play a small part in the organisation!”
What are the main aims and objectives of the charity?
“For over 30 years, we’ve been challenging traditional responses to homelessness by creating services that are designed specifically for young people, with young people.
By ending youth homelessness, we aim to make it rare, brief, and non-recurring. We know that to achieve this, we must go beyond short-term fixes.
It starts with prevention, identifying and tackling the root causes before young people reach crisis point. It means changing systems and policies so that young people have access to safe, affordable housing that meets their specific needs. It means making sure every young person has the chance to build their skills, support networks, and confidence, so they can move forward and thrive.”
On average, how many young people does Rock Trust help each year?
“Our services now support over 1,000 young people each year to avoid or move on from homelessness in Scotland, a 40% increase on just three years ago.”
How does Rock Trust provide support to young people facing homelessness?
“Our services are youth-specific, trauma-informed, and built around what young people tell us they need. We currently deliver services across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Glasgow, Perth, and Fife in line with our three strategic pillars of prevention, housing and futures.
This includes:
- Long-term supported accommodation
- Health & wellbeing
- Employability & skills
- Outreach & early intervention
- Emergency advice & essentials
- Youth Housing Hubs
For over 30 years, we’ve been challenging traditional responses to homelessness by creating services that are designed specifically for young people, with young people.”
How many young people in Scotland are currently facing homelessness?
“Last year, over 9,000 young people were affected by homelessness across Scotland. However, these figures don’t show the full picture. Many young people are hidden from statistics – sofa surfing, relying on strangers, and living in unsafe situations.”
How can a young person who is facing homelessness contact Rock Trust?
“If you’re aged 16-25 years old and are affected by or at risk of homelessness, we are here to provide advice and support. You can reach our team by phoning 0345 222 1425 or emailing hello@rocktrust.org, or by filling out an enquiry form on our website.”