Helping the homeless
at Christmas and
throughout the year
at Christmas and
throughout the year
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at Christmas and throughout the year |
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What we do at ChristmasSince 1987, Caring at Christmas has provided the homeless people of Bristol with those traditional comforts that most people take for granted at Christmas time:warmth, comfort, companionship, as well as turkey and presents. Over the Christmas period our emergency shelter in St Paul's is open all day. In 2004 we opened from 3 pm on December 24th to 10 am on December 31st to provide food, shelter, accommodation, entertainment and friendship as well as a basic health care and advice service to homeless people. We can accommodate up to 45 people in our dormitory and in 2004 served 1962 meals. It takes 350 volunteers , people like you and me, to staff this event. Back to top of page. |
What we do throughout the yearWe have always been aware of the downward spiral that so easily develops in the lifestyle of those who have no permanent place they can call 'home' particularly when this is compounded by the absence of a job or job prospects.We took the decision in 2001 to broaden our vision and scope of work in order to be more effective in creating ways back into society for those who have become disadvantaged in this way. Our year round work includes the Bristol Survival Handbook which in now in it's 5th edition and sees 5000 copies being printed. We also run the Caring in Bristol website a resource for those who work with homeless people. In September 2006 we had 11245 individual hits! Bristol Nightstop launched in January 2001 as one of 43 nationwide Nightstop schemes. Initially it was run by NCH. Nightstop is a vital service for vulnerable young people who are facing homelessness. Caring in Christmas took Bristol Nightstop on in January 2006 when, due to funding cuts, NCH could not longer run the project. The project offers 16-25 year olds (although most are under 21) emergency accommodation, on a night-by-night basis, in volunter hosts homes. The volunteers are Nigthstop's most precious and important resource. Out of the goodness of their hearts, they take the young person into their homes without any reward. By offering a warm welcome, a spare bedroom, washing facilities and an evening meal and breakfast, the kindness and generosity of our host can and does turn lives around. Hosts offer accommodation as little or as often as they chose. It is a safe place for the young person to stay until they can return to their family or find permanent accommodation elsewhere, This has meant time and time again that youngsters have been diverted from homelessness and offererd brief respite, given security, kindness and hope. Bristol Nightstop is about preventing homelessness of young people who, by a stroke of bad luck or mishap find themselves in a very scary place, by offering them a chance to review their situation, to avoid descending into a downward spiral of life on the street. During the time we are open over Christmas, we see hte effects that long term homelessness can have on people, including unemployment, drugs, alcohol, crime, prostitution and physical and mental ill health. Do you have a spare room? If so, could you beocme a host for Nightstop? We are looking for people from all backgrounds linving in and around the city of Bristol to become hosts for Nightstop. Hosts will recieve a home and lifestyle assessment, training and CRB police checks to ensure the welfare of everyone concerned. We take referral from approaved agencies that carry out risk assessments of the young people, and a 24-hr support system is in place for our hosts to call on. In order to use the Nightstop name and model Bristol Nightstop has to affiliate to Nightstop UK. Nighstop UK is an indepedent registered charity that offers consultancy, advice, support, and training for community groups wanting to operate a Nightstop scheme. Local schemes are required to meet published Affilation Criteria and Minimum Standards of Practice, thereby ensuring that a consistent standard is applied wherever Nightstops operate. Back to top of page. |
| The challenge of our task remains as great as ever... |
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