"A lot of the times I've been in homeless hostels over Christmas. It's better than being on the streets. The hostels really fill up over the festive season because everyone wants to be inside. The staff make it the best they can over Christmas: they make a turkey, they'll try and give you a present. But it's a really horrible place at Christmas because nobody wants to be there. It's a lonely feeling because everybody wants to be with family and friends."

This is the experience of 25 year-old Julie Smith, and it is one thousands of homeless people will face again this Christmas.

Julie, from Aberdeen, has moved from hostel to street to friend's couch to more hostels since she first became homeless as a teenager. A spiralling drink and drug problem meant she lost her job, her car and eventually her home.

And according to Julie, most of the people she met in homeless hostels were young like herself, many with children of their own.

To ease the pain of not being with family at home at Christmas, many take the only way out they know how. "Most people just stay in their rooms all day and just get drunk or take drugs to obliterate the day, " she says. "They wake up and its not Christmas any more."

But Julie is looking forward to Christmas this year. She is now at the Aberdeen Foyer which provides supported accommodation, education and training for young people who have been homeless.

It is a springboard back into mainstream life.

Euan Jarvis is also staying at Aberdeen Foyer. The 17-year-old has been homeless for the past 18 months after falling out with his step-father and getting chucked out of his home. As Christmas approaches, he doesn't know if he'll be back home or not.

"I wouldn't like to be living on the streets at Christmas, " he says.

"I stayed on the streets before. I didn't like it. It wasn't Christmas, but it was cold enough. I slept in a bus shelter and made myself a little bed. My brother gave me a bust sleeping bag and I was sleeping on concrete. I didn't sleep at all. It was a nightmare."

But homelessness doesn't just mean sleeping rough out on the streets, it literally means not having a home. Esther, 13, Marie, 14, and Zofia, 16, are just three of the hundreds of young people in Scotland who have spent Christmas in bad-quality temporary accommodation. They became homeless when they fled domestic violence with their mother, and have spent the last two years in several temporary houses. This existence has been hard on the girls.

"You have no home, " says Esther. "You are not allowed to have friends stay over. You cannot stay out late.

Animals are not allowed; no parties and no loud music. There is no point in making friends as you can't keep them."

With Christmas approaching, it's been especially hard. Marie says: "Living in homeless accommodation, time goes slow. I've no home, no friends, no pets, no life."

Kate Seymour from Shelter, a charity which has been supporting the girls and their family, understands this: "For a lot of young people, where they are living has a massive impact on their lives. And that's more apparent at Christmas because there is such a focus on the home." According to Kate, this year there will be 2031 families spending Christmas in temporary accommodation, a rise of 26per cent from last year.

Thankfully, Esther, Marie and Zofia are moving into a permanent safe home with their mum, just in time for Christmas.

What you can do to help?

Jamie Patterson, a support worker from the Aberdeen Foyer, says that any donations of clothing, food parcels or gifts are incredibly welcome at Christmas. "Or volunteering for projects like ourselves, " he adds. "There are several registered charities out there that are always looking for an extra pair of hands."

To combat the problem of badquality temporary housing, Kate suggests signing up to Shelter's Million Children campaign on its website. On a more practical level this Christmas, you can donate food parcels or any unwanted gifts to Shelter.

www.shelter.org.uk
www.aberdeenfoyer.com
www.cyrenians.org.uk

SEPARATED FAMILIES

When her parents told her they were breaking up one Hogmanay, Lynn O'Hagan sat on the edge of her bed and thought, "What a great start to the year".

She had nearly 12 months to prepare for the first Christmas with separated parents, but that still didn't stop the 15-year-old from having a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. "We were all scared that there would be a tension and ruin Christmas, " says the Stirling teenager. "Especially because the relationship between my mum and dad wasn't friendly by any means."

Lynn's fear will be shared by thousands of young people across Scotland this Christmas, as they face a time of year sold on family togetherness when their home situation is anything but. Last year, 30,757 couples tied the knot and were married, while 10,928 couples saw that knot unravel and filed for divorce. These figures don't even take into account couples who separate, like Lynn's parents.

"Young people might be worried and feel upset about the first Christmas when the family isn't together, but rather than pretend that everything is fine they should try to talk to someone they trust."

That's the advice from Fiona Garwood of Family Mediation Scotland.

Across the country Family Mediation Services help over 6000 families with young people who are living apart from a parent.

Thankfully Christmas can be successfully negotiated, and it might not be as painful as young people first imagine.

"Christmas sort of happened as normal, " says Lynn. "All us kids lived with my mum, and my dad and my gran came round for Christmas. In that sense it was a normal Christmas."

What can you do to help?

Family Mediation Scotland, which runs groups for young people whose parents live apart, offer the following advice if you are facing Christmas with separated or divorced parents:

Try to talk to your mum and dad. It may be hard, but they are the ones who need to know how you feel.

Try to make sure you can at least speak to the parent you aren't with at some time during Christmas Day.

There will be firefighters, doctors, nurses, policemen and women, who have to work on Christmas Day. They have their special celebrations on different days, so don't feel odd if you have your Christmas dinner with one of your parents on another day.

If you are feeling down there are people who can help. Try talking to a friend or to an adult you trust.

www.familymediationscotland.org.uk/main/kids.htm

www.childlinescotland.org.uk

www.nch.org.uk/page.asp?auto=394

THE ELDERLY

IT is not just the cold that affects some elderly people during the winter time.

Christmas bites hard as well.

With images of happy families bombarding people from all around, from Christmas cards to TV adverts, it makes the prospect of spending Christmas alone pretty miserable for a lot of old people.

"That's the big problem area, " says Alistair Abel, the co-ordinator for Age Concern in Aberdeen. "There's a lot of lonely old people out there and all Christmas does is exacerbate the situation that is already there. Loneliness is one of the big problems of old age."

Help the Aged discovered that last year nearly half a million elderly people in the UK spent Christmas alone. The loss of family members, or having their relatives living far away, means that many old people will face the same situation this year. The charity Crisis claims that 20per cent of all old people in Britain won't speak to anyone on Christmas Day.

What you can do to help?

Company for the elderly is the big issue at Christmas. Judith Reid from Broomhill day care centre has some practical advice about how to lend your time: "I recommend approaching an elderly person through an organisation, " she says. "In this area people can take the elderly into the centre of Edinburgh to see the lights.

A couple of teenagers willing to help people get on and off minibuses and deliver hampers would be a great help."

Jess Barrow from Age Concern agrees: "The important thing is what we simply call good neighbourliness, just keeping in touch and keeping a social contact going."

Shirley Mitchell, programme officer, Health in Later Life at Health Scotland, says:

"Practical help and support is important for mental health and well-being in later life. It is about inclusion, making certain that the older people are involved in the community, and if they aren't able, then help them in their daily life, especially at this time of year.

"As people get older and need more support from those around them, it is even more vital that the community connection is made. Often just knowing that family or friends are there for them, however geographically distant, can be reassuring.

"People in later life do have an important place in the community and we know that it is important for them to feel that social contact."

www. ageconcern scotland. org. uk www. helptheaged. org. uk WANT to help people who do not have such a great time at Christmas, but unsure how or where to help? Here are some charities and ideas on how you can get involved The Salvation Army Join one of the 800 centres round the UK geared to helping the homeless, the elderly and poor families. These centres are open over Christmas providing those in need with a festive meal. Extra hands are always welcome. You can also help prepare food and toy parcels.

www.salvationarmy.org.uk

Get involved!

WANT to help people who do not have such a great time at Christmas, but unsure how or where to help? Here are some charities and ideas on how you can get involved

The Salvation Army Join one of the 800 centres round the UK geared to helping the homeless, the elderly and poor families. These centres are open over Christmas providing those in need with a festive meal. Extra hands are always welcome. You can also help prepare food and toy parcels.www. salvationarmy. org. uk

Fareshare Every year we throw away £856 million of food in the bin. Fareshare redistributes it. As a result, 1000 tons of food is taken to shelters for homeless people, providing 20,000 meals a week. Check out the www. fareshare. org site

Good Samaritans Pack a shoebox full of presents for Operation Christmas Child 2004 this year. To find out where your local Christmas box drop-off point is, log on at
www.samaritanspurse.uk.com and then get busy packing

Quarriers Volunteer for Scotland's leading care charity for children, adults and families. Quarriers works to positively change poverty and inequality in Scotland. Log on to
www.quarriers.org.uk
Check out www.youngscot.org/channels/volunteering for more practical ways to spread some Christmas cheer.