"Camerados" Meal Stop
at Third Sector Hebrides

Camerados Public Living Room, located at Third Sector Hebrides’ hub in Stornoway, opened in November 2022 as the first of its kind in the Outer Hebrides. The room is cosily furnished with sofas, soft furnishings and additional homely touches such as a radio and books. Folk of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.

The ethos follows that of the national Camerados movement; anyone can go and have a cuppa and a biscuit, on good days and bad, without anyone judging or trying to fix anyone else. Visitors can access Camerados anonymously as it has its own separate entrance. The numbers who use the space vary from day to day; sometimes people sit alone and enjoy the solitude and, at other times, the room can be full of people enjoying time together, playing games and chatting.

Currently, Camerados is open on Thursdays and Fridays and out of these hours as needs arise. The room was furnished using funding received from small grants. Start-up costs were kept low; a mainland retailer selling off end of season stock provided a sofa at a heavily discounted price and local people donated additional furniture and books. The team at Camerados HQ sent a starter pack and ongoing contributions such as a throw, cushion covers, a biscuit tin, a board game, bunting, fairy lights, a teapot and promotional materials. They provided funding to pay for the costs of holding a promotional event.

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When the public living room first opened, hot drinks and biscuits were provided. As time progressed, rising levels of food poverty within the community became more apparent so Third Sector Hebrides began to provide a little bit more… breakfast and lunch items such as porridge pots, pasta meals, cuppa soups and snacks, which people could heat up easily with just a kettle and microwave. Running costs for the public living room are approximately £30 per month for the refreshments, with food items being purchased when they’re on offer. The lease of the room is offered “in kind.”

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It has been important to make sure that those who access the food do not use the facility like a food bank, as this would make it unsustainable for Third Sector Hebrides to fund. Signs are displayed, asking people to just take one meal at a time. If anyone needs more help, staff are able to help people to access the food bank, two minutes’ walk away. If the food bank is closed, Third Sector Hebrides has a number of food packs which can be given to those in crisis.​ Those who come to Camerados remain anonymous so no formal records are kept but the impact of the project can be seen in the quantity of food that is used, ensuring that people are less hungry and better nourished.