Specialist sleeping bags and suits will be distributed to Aberdeen homeless charities as temperatures being to plunge.
The 400 products will be split between charities in Aberdeen and London and given to the homeless to protect people from the elements – in efforts to keep those living on the streets warm this winter.
One charity who will receive a share of both the “shelterbags” and “sheltersuits” is Aberdeen Cyrenians, who will hand out the kit to people living on the city’s streets.
Neptune Energy is working with non-profit organisation Sheltersuit UK to distribute the supply to those most in need.
Shelterbags are portable, sheltered beds that roll up into a bag.
They are waterproof, lightweight, and have a compartment for personal items.
They also come with a sleeping bag and a built-in pillow.
Sheltersuits are wind and waterproof jackets with a sleeping bag attachment to provide immediate shelter to those who need it most.
It consists of a jacket, sleeping bag and a duffel bag.
The large hood shields the face from rain and streetlights, and contains an integrated scarf to help keep people warm.
‘Winter in Aberdeen can be very severe’
A spokesman for Sheltersuit UK said: “We are deeply grateful to Neptune Energy for their generous support.
“This intervention will in the short term transform the lives of many homeless persons, and will undoubtedly save some.
“Winter in Aberdeen can be very severe, and the unfortunate few who are still sleeping outside need all the protection that they can get.
“Neptune’s donation will help us to provide this protection, not only in Aberdeen but across all of UK.”
Neptune Energy’s head of environmental, social and governance, Kate Niblock, added: “Sheltersuit UK is a fantastic organisation which provides vital support to homeless people across the world by providing for one of their most basic needs – shelter.
“We’re proud to be able to partner with Sheltersuit UK to enable them to increase the support they provide to the communities within which we work this winter.”
Homelessness on the rise
According to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) data, the amount of households assessed to be homeless or at risk of homelessness between January and March this year was 68,250 – a 7% increase from 63,990 in October to December last year.
Campaigners have warned more families could face being made homeless after the eviction ban was lifted on May 31.
And a volunteer group feeding Aberdeen’s homeless say demand for it’s aid has doubled since lockdown.
Aberdeen-based group Street Friends Helping The Homeless made a public appeal for donations last year.
Speaking at the time, founder of the initiative Justin Ritchie said: “It’s been a lot busier since Covid-19. In the last couple of months there have many people coming for help we haven’t seen before – up to 70 people a night.
“We would help around 35 before the crisis.
“All the donations we are getting just now go out right away, that night, because of the need.”