The WCNS at present

The Winchester Churches Nightshelter continues to fill a vital and unique place within the network of Winchester’s homelessness services: we are the only service to offer direct access accommodation, with outreach support, and we are so often the first port of call for those homeless unaware of wider support networks – people outside on the streets, outside society’s view, outside ‘the system’.

WCNS offers an essential lifeline where basic needs of shelter, food, and hygiene can be met but also offers other vital help in easing loneliness, providing a secure support network to address problems, and a start to being included in society and ‘feeling more human’ again. ‘The Nightshelter has built up my confidence, given me time to think, reminded me of the support available, and put me in touch with those who could assist me in job hunting’. (WCNS guest)

To go some way to achieving our aim of providing shelter to as many homeless as we can whilst offering the greatest support possible to help individuals escape the homelessness cycle, we have setup two ‘streams’ at WCNS: a ‘crash bed’ stream where guests can stay up to 14 days and gain at least some vital help in making first steps off the streets; and a ‘full support beds’ stream where guests can stay until more permanent move on accommodation can be found - our Supporting People funded floating support workers play a crucial role here. 

We continue to face major challenges: we see no reduction in the numbers of homeless in need of our services and, with places for move-on accommodation so lacking in Winchester, the rate of guests moving on into long-term accommodation has slowed. Shelter’s recent report suggests that 45% of sheltered bed spaces in England are occupied by people who are waiting to move on into more permanent accommodation; this tallies with our situation at WCNS and remains the biggest problem we face.

Our priorities at WCNS in the coming months, include:

• to provide the best outreach and internal support that we can during our guests’ short or longer stay, & to those we have to turn away.
• to look at ways we can expand our help to guests in developing their life skills whilst at WCNS.
• to help guests move on more quickly to appropriate long-term accommodation.
• to consider whether our limited bed space can be increased - we have recently had a structural survey for this purpose.
• to raise our profile and highlight the issues of homelessness in Hampshire and the essential role WCNS and other charities play.
• to build stronger links with other complementary charities and homelessness organizations, helping to join up homelessness services.
• to reach out more widely, highlighting the services at WCNS to ensure more of those in need know where to come, and what we can offer.

We are already building closer links to the great work that continues at the homeless day centre, Trinity - particularly as they move to their new building at the end of this year and offer extended health care, drug and alcohol advice, IT training, art classes etc.  At least 50% of WCNS guests attend Trinity during the day.  We are also very excited by the arrival of the Emmaus project in Winchester and already have close contact with the team – Emmaus will provide a few more of those much needed long-term independent living places in Winchester. We have close links to the Basics Bank, support from the Salvation Army, and hope to extend links to others including the Soup Kitchen and others working and living on the street so that we can reach out to more of the hidden homeless who often remain on the outside.

We plan to continue to raise the profile of WCNS through more informed media coverage, wider support and volunteer networks, our re-launched website, and helping to ensure the public know how and where to give financially if they want to help people out of the homelessness cycle (eg the Direct Giving boxes). We also plan to run a few fundraising events soon which we hope everybody will be keen to join in – eg a ‘Cook-in, Sleep-out’ early Spring 09 (look out for that!).

There is much work to do but we have such great support from our volunteers, local churches, local organizations and county and city councils; a great team of staff and directors; and an urgency to get on and continue to really make a difference to shattered lives so close to home. Our volunteers and supporters are such an essential part of the team – thank you for your ongoing help.

Sarah Lloyd,  Chairman
June 2008