‘It could happen to you’ is set to wow audiences

The Overlee Support Group will perform ‘It could happen to you’ at the Scottish Housing and Support Conference in Edinburgh.

The group was set up a year ago with members supporting each other through their homeless journey.

When they first got together they all felt the stigma of being homeless and decided to do a play about their experiences.

With the help of a drama coach, they wrote It could happen to you.

East Ren Council’s homeless team assists the group with structure and guidance and their involvement enables them to identify specific needs such as literacy and put in place support for members.

The group’s experiences and views are also helping to inform and improve the homeless service.

Suzanne Irvine, East Renfrewshire Council’s temporary accommodation manager, said: “From those who are ‘sofa surfing’ to people in supported temporary accommodation, anyone who is homeless can access support from East Ren’s homeless team.

“Everyone involved in staging the play is a service user who has been or is being supported by the homeless service. Through our support and that of the informal Overlee Support group some people who are living in temporary accommodation and some who have now got their own permanent tenancy have been able to access local services tailored to meet their specific needs.

“The group provides a support network. It also enables the council’s homeless team to work together with service users direct experiences and opinions to inform and improve the service.”

It’s the latest invitation to perform the play in public to the group – they have featured on STV Glasgow after staging it at the council’s service users forum.

The performance, at the Edinburgh Hilton, will take place on October 6.