Fresh Start

Starter Packs

Funding was used to help run the Starter Packs service – it helped increase the amount of goods Fresh Start can store, organise in packs and distribute to people moving on from homelessness. This is an essentials ask as the number of families facing extreme hardship is increasing across Edinburgh.  Being able to make a home is a crucial step towards supporting tenants to cope with the trauma of their ‘homeless’ experience, reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental health and well-being. The Starter Packs provide service users with the essential goods they need to set up their home, reducing the stress and financial burden involved in the transition from homelessness to being rehoused.

In 23-24, the starter pack programme diverted 60.5 tons of goods from landfills, extending the life of everyday household goods and reducing the emissions required to produce new ones. A further 14.8 Tons (goods which are not in a good enough conditions) have been diverted through scrap metal and others recycling service.

Over the funding period Fresh Start delivered 17,964 starter pack helping 3492 households. The project will continue on a similar model this year, some of the funding is already in place and our team is continuing to seek further funds.

Quote: “It has made a massive difference. Not had a cooker for 10 years so have been eating cold foods like sandwiches, we lived in a B&B so could use the microwave only between 6pm-7pm. We have started cooking every day and eat more healthy foods. Thank you

More information about the impact of the project is available online

Find out more by reading the Fresh Start application to the Edinburgh Community Climate Fund or visit their website.