Night shelter for rough sleepers ready if temperature drops

Worcester City Council, county homelessness contractor CCP and Maggs Day Centre in Deansway have joined forces to provide facilities for up to 18 rough sleepers.

Based at Maggs, the night shelter will provide sleeping bags, hot drinks, food and advice on longer term housing options.

Ben Bradley, Worcester City Council single homelessness pathways officer, said: “With winter round the corner we know it’s going to get tougher for anyone who sleeps rough on Worcester’s streets.

"Lives can be put at risk, so we’ve worked hard with our partners to agree a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) that means we’ll be opening the night shelter the moment temperatures hit freezing.”

If temperatures reach freezing, CCP staff will head out onto the streets to find rough sleepers and encourage them to head to the shelter at Maggs.

CCP will also arrange transport for rough sleepers around the county.

Ross Webber, CCP’s HoPES (Homelessness Prevention Engagement Scheme) project manager, said: “When freezing temperatures arrive the work we do is life-saving – if we get ten people in, potentially we have saved ten lives.

“We’ll have the night shelter open from 9.30pm and we’ll have tea, coffee, sugar, cuppa soups and other provisions ready.

"We’ll have sleeping bags for up to 18 people and staff on hand all night to check on the welfare of the rough sleepers.

“Our main objective is to help people to get off the streets permanently, so in the morning we will talk to them about their housing options and other services that can help them.”

If demand for the night shelter is higher than the 18 places available, the city council will arrange temporary bed and breakfast accommodation elsewhere.

Mel Kirk, chief executive of Maggs Day Centre, said: “We are proud to host the SWEP again this year in partnership with Worcester City Council and CCP.

"This is an essential provision that can help save the lives of people on the streets.”