But the common bond they have is not a shared interest in a hobby or activity, but rather their lack of having a place to call their own.

The homeless, disadvan-taged and vulnerable gravitate towards the soup kitchen run on a regular basis by the Salvation Army at its Parkfoot building on the edge of Falkirk town centre.

Here they can expect a warm meal, the chance to shower, wash their clothes, talk to someone, and, if needed, find a shoulder to cry on.

There is also an opportunity to realise that their predicament of having nowhere to call home is probably not of their making and they are far from alone.

Last year, Falkirk Council revealed it had over 600 people living in temporary accommodation and the number was spiralling upwards.

In an attempt to halt the trend, the Labour-led administration ordered a review of the local authority's housing allocation policy.

But, as an interim measure, two out of every three houses let are currently going to the homeless or those in priority need.

Despite these steps, there are still those who have no home of their own. However, these often forgotten members of society are given a lifeline by the soup kitchen and the dedicated band who run it.

Set up almost 10 years ago when the Salvation Army moved to its new premises, the soup kitchen opens Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Community manager Anne Haldane said, on average, a couple of dozen would turn up nightly for the two-course homemade meal on offer, the majority in their 30s, but some a lot younger and many older.

She said: "Some have been coming since we opened. They are homeless for different reasons: marriage break ups, others have been in prison, while some will disappear for a while then come back.

"It's not just about giving them food, we help those with problems.
Specially trained people come in to provide debt counselling and advice on substance abuse but mainly it's about being there to listen. We have a whole network of other people we can tap in to to provide support if needed."

As if on cue, a young woman at a nearby table is being comforted following the sudden death of a close relative. The telephone number for a grief counselling helpline is quickly found and passed on to her.

Drop-in co-ordinator Campbell McDermid (40) works closely with those who attend. His mornings are spent visiting parts of Falkirk where he knows clients are likely to be.

He said: "I speak to them about any issues they may have, whether it's drugs, alcohol, homelessness or domestic abuse. If I can't deal with it then I try my best to find someone who can.

"I usually come into the soup kitchen about 2 p.m. to get set up and three times a week I help with the cooking. There's usually about three or four people who will come in for one-to-one counselling before the
main group start arriving after 4 p.m."

Campbell described his job as "the best in the world", although he admits many people will struggle to understand why he says this.

"What you find is that no matter what these clients have to deal with they never lose their sense of humour. It's impossible not to be moved by many of their stories, but they really are the salt of the earth," he added.

"It's just a pleasure to work with them and I really love my work. I know that some people won't understand that but it's true."

The soup kitchen receives some funding from NHS Forth Valley, but relies a lot on donations whether it is cash or food. Anne explained: "We get help from local churches and every September a lot of the local schools have harvest festivals after which they donate tins of food to us. If these aren't used in the kitchen, they make up food parcels which we give to those in need."

The Salvation Army's invaluable service is carried out quietly and without any desire for praise, but without the soup kitchen and the support provided by the team running it, many of society's most disadvantaged and vulnerable would have nowhere to turn.