Appeal for volunteers as Bishop's Stortford's shelter for homeless opens

Bishop's Stortford's winter night shelter for the homeless is desperate for more volunteers as it prepares to open at the end of November.

The sanctuary at Holy Trinity Church in South Street will operate from November 27 for those who would otherwise sleep on the streets.

The Rev Mandy Brown and her team offer comfort and support to those in need throughout the year, including clean clothes, washing and laundry facilities, hot food, snacks and advice. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday there are drop-in sessions as part of a wider outreach programme.

It cost £28,000 to run the shelter last year. The tight budget means manager David Perry is employed for just 13 hours a week, but he dedicates many more to reaching out to homeless people as soon as the team become aware of their difficulties.

Rev Brown said: "We are unable to open all year round because the number of volunteers we would need would be phenomenal. We would need a huge amount of money to pay a full-time manager and we just don't have it."

However, with the help of up to 300 volunteers, they are able to offer a safe haven each night during the worst of the winter for up to 12 guests.

Rev Brown is anxious that the help offered is more than a temporary sticking plaster.

"Once we open we will keep going to the end of March – we have a very long season, one of the longest [of any winter night shelter]," she said.

"Experience tells us that the worst of the bad weather comes later than it used to. But we use that time to be able to work with people and to help people connect and reconnect. We need the time to build up the trust and the love that's required to be able to work with someone.

"Just providing a roof over somebody's head does not resolve the challenges they are facing. It's just the beginning. The shelter is a conduit to other resources – to housing, to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and even using the contact centre to reconnect people to their children and families," she said. That support continues even when guests are off the street.

As part of its mission to provide the best possible services, the shelter is regularly inspected by Housing Justice and was rated 'excellent' at the last visit. "We are very proud of that," said Rev Brown. "We work very closely with Housing Justice and we follow all their guidelines."

Each day, the shelter, now a registered charity, needs two overnight volunteers each night, three lunchtime and four evening helpers, plus an extra pair of hands during the day to collect food donated by businesses. Those who can spare just a few hours to play cards or board games or just chat are very welcome.

David said: "You don't have to know how to resolve someone's issues – just come and be a friend."

He is training volunteers who have already come forward but is anxious to recruit more and set up induction sessions for them too.

Not all roles are client-facing – the shelter also needs help with laundry, housekeeping, pantry stock rotation and preparing meals on the premises each evening. New recruits to the catering crew have been busy securing food hygiene certificates.

Rev Brown said: "It's wonderful to come in out of the cold and for the guests to smell home-cooked meals coming out of the kitchen."

The shelter's doors open each night from 8pm and guests leave at 7.30am, unless the weather is particularly bad. Lunch is on offer from 11am until 2pm. The shelter offers activities such as art therapy as well as advice on issues including mental health and addiction.

Over the past five years, since the shelter first opened, the team have built up a wealth of practical experience and a network of experts who can help address the complex issues which lead to an individual living on the streets.

They work closely with Citizens Advice, Bishop's Stortford Food Bank at the Methodist church, alcohol and drug rehabilitation professionals and East Herts Council's housing options officer for rough sleepers.

The team also partner with other churches, such as the Salvation Army, which provides vouchers so shelter-users can pick their own clothes from the good cause's shop in South Street.

David has a small selection of garments so that anyone turning up in wet clothes can change into something dry, warm and clean, but because space is tight, the shelter is unable to store donations of clothes, which are best directed to the town's charity shops.

The shelter has ample supplies of towels and beddings and uses special fold-up beds, which can be cleaned easily.

It does, however, always welcome donations of tea, coffee and biscuits, which are always in short supply, plus books and games for the guests.

Rev Brown said: "The shelter has galvanised the community to meet what is an increasingly challenging issue for everybody. We could not do this without the support of the town."

* Night shelter manager David Perry is holding induction meetings at the church for potential new recruits next Monday (Nov 25) at 7pm and the following Saturday (Nov 30) at 2pm.