During the Christmas Challenge week donations towards the charity’s Buy a Bed campaign will be generously matched by Baillie Gifford and the Together Project, meaning each donation can support twice as many people sleeping on the streets.

The £21 Buy a Bed vouchers give someone sleeping rough the opportunity to come in from the cold, with access to a warm and safe en-suite bedroom, hot meals and 24-hour support at the Rapid Re- accommodation Welcome Centre in Edinburgh.

With a focus on personalised care and support, the centre aims to not just provide safe warm beds for the night, but also helps people move on into more permanent accommodation as well as assistance with mental health, addiction, wellbeing, medical needs and accessing benefits.

This winter the City of Edinburgh Council is covering the cost of the room hire. Bethany is providing the large professional team to support people in crisis and is raising funds through the Buy a Bed campaign to enable this service. The Welcome Centre also relies on around 1,000 volunteers from churches across the Lothians who provide the catering and hot evening meals.

The support provision at the Welcome Centre is also supported by the voluntary donations of trusts and foundations, individuals, local churches, companies and communities, as well as local and national government grants.

Commenting on the Welcome Centre Christmas Gift, Alasdair Bennett, chief executive at Bethany Christian Trust, said: “Giving someone the opportunity to escape the cold into safe accommodation and receive a hot meal, with love and support will save lives.

“Your gift will be generously match funded if you purchase during the week from 30th November onwards. Your donation will provide our team with the means to help those most in need find a warm and loving place to stay this Christmas and support to move on to further accommodation. When thinking of how you can make a difference this year, please consider this fantastic opportunity to double the impact of your giving.”

Those who wish to get involved can make an online donation to Bethany Christian Trust’s campaign from 12pm (midday) on #GivingTuesday 30th November until 12 pm on 7th December here.