The Care Van is our project run in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust and 40 local churches.
The van is an important source of care and support for people who are homeless and vulnerable in the City of Edinburgh. Relying on volunteers, it goes out almost every day of the year providing soup, food, hot drinks, blankets and clothes, friendship, encouragement and advice to up to 60 people a night who are rough sleeping or housed in homeless B&B accommodation by Edinburgh Council.
Edinburgh City Mission co-ordinates rotas for over 40 teams that are drawn from local churches across the Lothians and includes over 750 volunteers.
Last year we celebrated 30 years since the Care Van first took to the streets of Edinburgh to provide food and comfort to people in need. Throughout Edinburgh’s Covid-19 lockdown, the evening and lunchtime teams have served over 20,000 meals.
In June 2022, the Care Van was nominated for and won The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Read our joint press release with Bethany Christian Trust in our Stories section here.
Care Van Times and Locations
The Care Van operates every evening, and lunchtimes on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Lunchtimes –
Please contact Bethany Christian Trust for times and locations of the lunchtime Care Van.
12:30pm – Market Street
1pm – King’s Stables Road
1.20pm – Grassmarket
2:00pm – Tesco, Easter Road, leaving no earlier than 2:15pm
Evenings –
9pm Waverley Bridge
9:50pm King’s Stables Road,
10pm Grassmarket
10:30pm High Street / North Bridge


“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?”
James 2:14-17 (MSG)

















