A £15,000 donation from innovative charity ShareGift is set to help housing charity Shelter Scotland answer more calls to its helpline at a time when its services are in greater demand than ever as the recession bites.

ShareGift [2] is a unique charity which was set up to provide a solution to the problem of very small holdings of unwanted shares. The charity aggregates and sells these donated shares, giving the proceeds to a wide range of UK charities.

In Scotland, over 40,000 people are homeless and hundreds of thousands of families are stuck on waiting lists or in temporary accommodation without a home to call their own. Demand for housing is continuing to outstrip supply up and down the country, whilst unemployment is rising as the recession tightens its grip.

ShareGift's substantial donation comes at a time when the housing charity's services are more greatly needed than ever.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, housing and homelessness charity, said: 'ShareGift has supported Shelter for 11 years and we are delighted to receive this particularly generous donation from them. He said: 'We would like to thank Sharegift for their continued support, which will help us to continue our work providing advice and support on housing issues to people across the country. It will also help us continue to campaign for a home for everyone, at a time when Scotland is in the midst of a severe housing crisis.'

Notes to editors

1. Shelter Scotland believes everyone should have a home. The charity helps 170,000 people a year across the UK fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. We also tackle the root causes of Scotland’s housing crisis by campaigning for new laws, policies and solutions.
2. ShareGift, the share donation charity, provides a solution to the problem of very small holdings of shares, especially those which are of such a low value that they would cost more to sell than they are worth. The charity collects donations of shares and accumulates them until they are worth selling, then uses the funds to make donations to other UK charities. http://www.sharegift.org/
3. Spokespeople are available for interview, telephone the media office on 0844 515 2442. An ISDN line number is available for broadcast interviews.