Our work is expansive because our city is full of people with great need

80,000 people in Edinburgh are in material poverty. In Scotland, a fifth of our young people are lonely; a quarter of older Scots are chronically lonely. Young people battle with mental health at historic rates. People in deprived areas are 15 times more likely than wealthy neighbours to die from drug misuse. Refugees and asylum seekers don’t get basic amenities, let alone welcome and hospitality. Healthcare is crumbling, housing is an emergency, services are disjointed, community spaces haven’t revived post-COVID, life is online and not with real neighbours.  

Christianity no longer has a clear place in the public sphere and touchpoints with Jesus can be hard to find. Hope isn’t prevalent today. Census data shows a continual drop-off in Scots with a Christian faith. More than half of Scots have no religion. There’s a lack of churches and Gospel outreach in poor areas.