Swindon Night Shelter Needs Cash to Deal with Rising Demand for its Covid19 Services

Volunteers need white goods, food and cash to provide support to those in need in the town.

Swindon Night Shelter has supported the homeless, vulnerable and isolated in Swindon since 2008. 

With the COVID 19 pandemic they have seen a dramatic change to the way they operate, a vast rise in the need of services which now include assisting with accommodation, home moving and sourcing vital household goods.  All whilst offering telephone support to  150+ guests, giving emotional support, arranging food deliveries and washing clothes for those without amenities.  

The closure of the charity's cafes and shops, cancellation or postponement of r community and fundraising events (including a Charity Ball and the Duck race set to happen in May) is going to be financially detrimental.

Becky Davison, chair of the charity said: “We have never seen anything like the situation we are facing now and urgently need to ask for donations of white goods, food and financial blessings as the picture we are faced with means our services will be needed more and more. We hope to reopen our day centre and night shelter, as soon as the government lifts the current restrictions. 

"We are praying and trusting God that we will survive as a Charity, we’ve been hugely blessed with a grant from Wiltshire Community Foundation to help towards this situation and other gifts are coming in but everyone is under pressure financially so we do need to plan carefully and find other funding streams to help us at this time.”

The charity has five key components; a walk-up night shelter, a day centre, cafés in the community, a social enterprise shop and a warehouse.  

“The Hive (our warehouse) where we run our back to work programme and deliver to all the other areas of the ministry. The Hub shop and Cafe and Pop up shops across Wiltshire where we work with local schools and churches providing work experience, training and much needed greatly reduced goods. The Gate cafes project with pay as you can scheme run in partnership with local schools and Swindon Borough Council at community centres.

"Due to social distancing we’ve had to close all these services; our team are offering remote support where possible. 

“Having had to close our social enterprise activities we are now giving away what goods and services we do have that will help those referred to us in financial need across Wiltshire," Becky explained 

"We work across the county of Wiltshire supporting over 1,000 people who are homeless, vulnerably housed, isolated or in long term poverty and need.”

Dan Read, Swindon Night Shelter’s operations manager, said “We’ve needed to react fast to the changes and adapt everything we do to continue to support those in need”

“Additionally, we are providing vital practical and emotional support to growing numbers of rough sleepers being housed in temporary accommodation to limit the spread of the virus. 

“There is an unprecedented demand on our services, and this will likely increase in the weeks and months to come.”

Dan Read thanked everyone for stepping in to help at this time, many of the night-time volunteers have been placed on furlough from their jobs and so have come to help rather than staying home with their families. They are designated keyworkers and they are under huge pressure and putting their own health on the line as they support some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Dan said: “There are estimated to be 320,000 homeless people in the UK, 8,000 rough sleepers; there is a higher risk that these individuals will have a health condition which puts them at risk of contracting COVID-19. These are men, women (and in some cases children) whose health has already been damaged by trauma, rough sleeping and poverty”.

Even without the threat of a virus, homeless people die on average 30 years sooner than the general population. Three weeks ago, the government set in motion an ‘Everyone In’ initiative to slow the spread of the virus through this particularly vulnerable group, which aims to offer every homeless person temporary accommodation during the crisis.

Swindon Night Shelter has worked with colleagues across the sector and in the local council, to find homeless people and bring them in to empty hotels and other temporary accommodation

Dan explained the current situation for many they support: “Now most are temporarily housed in local hotels and B&Bs however many known to us remain in unstable housing and are very much alone, frightened, in poor health and more unsure than ever as to what the future holds.

“They are often staying in one room with no cooking facilities or even a fridge to store food and no support networks or family to lean on. These men and women are reliant on our frontline staff who are stretched to the limit providing emergency support, ranging from food and toiletries to mental health support and health education (handwashing, social distancing and self-isolation)."

Dan explained: “For every rough sleeper approximately 20 others are sleeping on sofas, in vehicles, or are insecurely housed.

“Now, as the virus spreads, these arrangements are breaking down. Covid-19 is accelerating financial hardship, relationship breakdown and mental health issues, all of which contribute to homelessness.

"Reported figures showed another 4% rise in homelessness in the UK at the turn of the year, our own experience here in Swindon during this pandemic suggests there could be further threat of worse still to come." 

The challenges faced by charities were acknowledged by the Government last week, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £750 million fund to support charities through the Covid-19 crisis.

“The fund is of course a welcome announcement, but we also know from experience that it may not go far enough, in reaching all those in need.

The charity sector is reportedly set to lose a staggering £4 billion in 12 weeks.

"More people than ever need our help and The Swindon Night Shelter will continue to do everything we can to support them," Dan said.