Edinburgh charity Street Assist 'busier than ever'
The charity provides support for people enjoying the Capital's nightlife
Edinburgh charity Street Assist says they are busier than ever helping people in the Capital on nights out.
The group provides support to the Capital's nightlife - dealing with people that are lost, injured clubbers and some who are too drunk.
The group, which was set up in 2016, are out in Edinburgh every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm until 4am, helping to provide first aid say
Founder Neil Logan says they are helping more people than ever, even before the pandemic: "It can be anything from maybe someone who's just lost their friends or someone who doesn't have any charge on their phone which means they might not be able to access bank cards.
"On five occasions over the last few years, we've actually probably either prolonged or saved life, because people have got themselves into situations where maybe the outcome would have been very different if we hadn't have been there."
"So in between everything, we've got people who are intoxicated, people who are taking drugs, people have been spiked and people who have presented with mental health issues."
The group has 151 volunteers in total, 20 to 28 of those will be out on any given night, they also have five vehicles to get around in.
Fringe Festival
Edinburgh is set to get even busier over the next month as the Fringe Festival gets underway.
That means over the course of August the Capital's population will almost double.
"Historically, and our data backs this up, we can expect to have our service increase significantly over the next four or five weeks." Neil told us.
In terms of tips for staying safe, he says:
"1. make sure you've had something to eat before you go out 2. Make sure your phone is charged 3. Make sure you've got money in your pocket, making sure you've got a safe route home 4. Always try and stick with your friends if you can - the hardest jobs we deal with are when people lose their friends.
"Also keep drinking water throughout the night, and don't accept a drink off someone you don't know, and don't leave your drink unattended.
"If you do need help from Street Assist, you can speak to the door staff at clubs and pubs, Police Scotland have our details, and also you can phone us on 07708351200 "