The charity has been named one of the winners for its ability to support people with highly complex needs and its holistic approach to tackling poverty, trauma and the challenges homeless people face when accessing the help they need.  

The award judges were particularly struck by the charity’s counselling and psychotherapy service which supports people with acute challenges, including active addictions, and includes work to reduce drug-related death and harm. The service does not require formal referral – recognising that many homeless people may not have access to GP services. It is also offered at the male prison HMP Barlinnie, and at the city council’s women’s homeless assessment service. 

Following a rigorous selection and assessment process, The Marie Trust was chosen from a record number of award entries as one of the 10 winners of the 2025 GSK IMPACT Awards. Now in its 28th year, the awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King’s Fund. The awards are widely seen as a mark of excellence in the charity health sector and are designed to recognise outstanding small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.  

As an award winner, The Marie Trust will now receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as a place on a highly sought-after leadership development programme provided by The King’s Fund. 

Homelessness in Scotland, including rough sleeping, sofa surfing or staying in hostels, has risen by 11% since 2020 to an estimated 18,400 households. In 2023, Glasgow City Council declared a housing emergency with increased levels of rough sleeping. In the same year, drug misuse accounted for 36% of all homeless deaths across Scotland, and people in the most deprived areas in the country are 15 times as likely to die from misuse compared with people in the least deprived areas.  

The Marie Trust started in 2009 as a crisis intervention and education service and now operates as a walk-in centre where people can access immediate support. Many people are in crisis when they reach the charity’s services, often presenting with active addiction, poor mental and physical health, and malnutrition. The charity offers immediate crisis intervention, access to appropriate accommodation, housing and welfare advice, and safeguarding against the risk of self-harm. The charity also runs a healthy living café, a digital literacy project, education service and a volunteering programme. 

In the year ending March 2024, The Marie Trust’s crisis intervention service saw over 1,000 people, providing over 7,500 hours of one-to-one support. On average, over 80 people use the charity’s café each day as their main source of food. 

While the financial context in which charities operate is increasingly challenging, the award judges were struck by The Marie Trust’s holistic approach. The charity works with criminal justice, social work and drug agencies to provide high levels of support to individuals. They also have a range of partnerships to deliver targeted services, including with Glasgow City Council Health and Social Care Partnership, and the Voluntary Sector Alcohol and Drug Partnership. 

The award judges also highlighted the charity’s work to develop Glasgow’s first hospital outreach service for homeless people on wards before and after discharge, which aims to reduce the revolving door of frequent readmission. The service works across the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Stobhill and Queen Elizabeth University Hospitals, and has been commended by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. 

Additionally, the award judges were impressed by the charity’s ‘digital literacy’ project, delivered in partnership with fellow charity Citizen Literacy. This targets those at risk of drug-related harm, recognising that a lack of literacy skills for many using drug users inhibits the use of smartphones, meaning users cannot connect with support workers or read prescriptions. 

Lisa Weaks, senior associate at The King’s Fund, said: “The Marie Trust provides a range of essential support services to homeless people, who are often in crisis, have complex needs or are otherwise without access to health care services. As well as helping people be safe and fed, they also reduce pressures on local NHS hospitals. Their innovations, partnerships and holistic approach are impressive.”

Commenting on the award, Frances McKinlay, CEO of The Marie Trust, added: “We are delighted The Marie Trust has been acknowledged by this prestige award. As a frontline homeless charity, our work is fast-paced and responsive for the people we support who are living with multiple challenges every day. I am extremely proud of our teams who work tirelessly to support people through this. 

“This achievement has come at a time when the third sector is facing unprecedented funding challenges and now more than ever we need to be ambitious for the people we support in making services accessible and relevant in tackling poverty and health inequalities.”