Winter Shelter update

We’re on to our third hosting church already in this year’s Winter Shelter, and already some trends are emerging.

All of our bed spaces have been reserved every night since we started it. We’re really please do have a visiting doctor again who is able to monitor patterns and trends in guests’ problems and provide much more immediate help.

We’re delighted to have been able to move four people on already, and we’re hoping for another three after Christmas.

The Christmas and New Year period can be a funny one for those who are homeless. Guests who have nowhere to go for 363 day of the year often find a welcome with family or friends for just one or two nights over Christmas and New Year. On the flip-side, we also see people for whom things have fallen apart leading up to Christmas and who find themselves on the streets for the first time.

So as not place too high a burden on our amazing and committed volunteers, and because our numbers are generally lower on these nights, we book hotel rooms for our guests for the nights of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. As you may have seen from recent news coverage of a hotel cancelling a similar booking in Hull, as well as being logistically sensible, these nights are really appreciated by the guests and it’s amazing to be able to offer a Christmas treat, through your generous support and fundraising, particularly through our Suits on the Streets event.

Thank you.