Who are we?
SLURP is a student-led society based in Edinburgh, supporting people affected by homelessness and food insecurity through volunteering, fundraising, and campaigning.
We bring together students who want to take practical action, build community, and learn more about the housing crisis in Edinburgh. Our work is rooted in the belief that homelessness is not just about food or shelter, but is connected to wider issues of inequality, poverty, housing access, and social support.
Through cooking, volunteering, fundraising, and campaigning, we aim to support local organisations while encouraging students to be more aware of the causes of homelessness and housing insecurity.
We have a brilliant committee leading SLURP through 2026/27, helping us grow our work and make a bigger difference across the city
Our History
Established in 2014, SLURP began by selling homemade soup on campus alongside young people who had experienced homelessness, or were at risk of experiencing it.
Over the past 10 years, SLURP has volunteered at various locations across Edinburgh, working with organisations such as Streetwork and Bethany Christian Trust. Students have helped create welcoming cooking spaces, prepare meals, and support people using these services.
As SLURP has grown, our work has expanded beyond food support alone. We now focus on volunteering, fundraising, campaigning, and raising awareness of wider housing issues, including rent affordability, student housing, and long-term responses to the housing crisis.
Today, SLURP continues to grow as a student society, building partnerships across Edinburgh and creating more ways for students to get involved in practical, community-focused action.
Volunteering
Cook, serve and support local organisaiton across Edinburgh
Campaigning
Raise awareness about homelessness, housing justice and food insecurity.
Fundraising
Help us run events and raise money to support our work and partner organisations
Why our work matters?
Homelessness is highly visible in Edinburgh, particularly around the university and city centre, yet it can often be overlooked by those of us who are privileged enough to have secure housing.
At SLURP, we recognise that homelessness is complex. The reasons someone may become displaced from their home are often linked to wider issues such as poverty, inequality, rising housing costs, lack of support, and social exclusion.
As students, we are aware of our own position and privilege. We want to use our time, skills, and platform to challenge stigma, learn more about homelessness, and support practical action in the local community.
Our Vision
Looking ahead, we want to keep growing SLURP in a way that is sustainable, practical, and rooted in the needs of the local community.
Our aims are to:
- Expand volunteering to more locations across Edinburgh
- Maintain strong relationships with partner organisations
- Keep developing the range of volunteering opportunities we offe
- Fundraise consistently throughout the year, including over the summer
- Support campaigns around housing rights, rent, student housing, and homelessness
- Raise awareness among students and the wider public
- Build a stronger student community around volunteering, fundraising, and activism
We are especially interested in working with organisations or community spaces that could benefit from student volunteers helping with cooking, food preparation, food distribution, or community meals.
If this sounds like something your organisation would be interested in, we would love to hear from you.