Edinburgh’s Lady Provost met with young tenants of the Four Square Stopover to celebrate the Grove Street hostel’s £60,000 makeover.

The Four Square Stopover Hostel provides emergency accommodation and support for homeless and at risk 16 to 21 year olds. Tenants can stay up to three months, or longer if they need to.

Following a £60,000 four-floor upgrade - funded thanks to the property charity LandAid and the Society of St James - the Lady Provost Elaine Brand cut a ribbon to mark the completion of upgrades to all bathroom and kitchens in the hostel, and the creation of a unique training centre where tenants can learn cooking, cleaning and budgeting skills.

The Lady Provost has raised thousands of pounds for homeless charities in Edinburgh as the city’s homeless champion.

She said: “Four Square does so much positive work with people who become homeless in Edinburgh. Many of the people staying at Stopover are aged 16 and 17 and are very vulnerable, but the Stopover staff are dedicated to looking out for them and helping them get back on track.

“The refurbishment has made a clear difference to the spirits of those working and living at Stopover. What’s really special about the makeover is the fact the facilities will enable young tenants to learn basic cooking and cleaning skills that they can take with them into the future.”

Heather Arni, chief executive of Four Square, added: “Stopover provides emergency and short-term accommodation to young people who are homeless in Edinburgh. The current building has been in use for 12 years and the kitchens, bathrooms and communal areas had become somewhat dilapidated.

“Thanks to the generous funding received from LandAid and St James’ Place Foundation, and support from Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, we have been able to upgrade key areas of the unit including four new kitchens, a training kitchen and refurbishment of the communal areas.

“Undertaking this work has meant that Four Square can be far more effective in its resettlement work with homeless and vulnerable young people. We can look forward to encouraging our young residents in this bright new space to become more involved in learning to cook healthy and cost effective meals.”