Help Put on the Menu for City Homeless

Diners in Edinburgh will be asked to donate £1 to their restaurant bill in August to help the homeless. The UK charity StreetSmart last night launched its 2006 Edinburgh fundraising campaign. Participating restaurants will accept the donations in the busy month when the city’s eateries are filled with visitors to the festivals. Last year’s campaign drive in August and December raised £18,000. The money is distributed to homeless charities in the city.

Fifteen cities, including Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, participated in the scheme last year. Approximately 450 restaurants joined in the drive across the UK, including more than 30 in the Scottish capital.

StreetSmart is an independent charity that raises money to support the needs of the homeless. It raised £435,000 in the UK last year and more than £2.2m in the seven years it has operated.

Martin Irons is the charity’s Scottish co-ordinator For 22 years Irons owned the award-winning Martin’s restaurant in Edinburgh before it closed in 2005.

The launch of this year’s campaign took place at Atrium, a participating restaurant for the Edinburgh drive.

There are thought to be more than 2000 homeless people living in Edinburgh.