A NEW night shelter has opened in Basildon to give homeless people refreshments and a safe place to sleep.

The new Basildon Borough Night Shelter runs on three nights a week - Wednesdays at Swan Mead Church Hall, Thursdays at Salvation Army Hall and Sundays at Trinity Methodist Hall.

The night shelter has been set up by a partnership working group with the churches, Citizens Advice Bureau, Council for Voluntary Service, Basildon Council, Relate, St Mungo’s Community Resource Centre, Helping Hands Food Bank, Family Mosaic, Department for Work and Pensions and Street Pastors.

Guests all have their own story about how they became homeless and no two are the same.

They arrive between 10pm and 11pm for refreshments and settle down at 11pm for a peaceful, warm night’s sleep.

They are woken at 7am for breakfast then go on their way by 8am.

A team of volunteers support the guests throughout the night, and it is currently looking for more volunteers.

Currently, the team of dedicated volunteers come from the churches and local community all over Basildon and surrounding areas and are from all walks of life – doctors, nurses, retail workers, lawyers, chefs, the retired, students at university, midwives, street pastors and members of the clergy.

Some do the evening welcome and refreshments shift, another group will do overnight and another team comes in and prepares breakfast and clears up.

Other volunteers help in different ways too, such as doing laundry runs for the bedding. Guests help as well by setting up their own bedding and packing it away in the morning, and some even vacuum.

Jenny Williams, shelter co-ordinator, said: “We have referrals from Basildon Council, prisons, housing associations and news of the new night shelter is spreading far and wide very quickly.

“So far we have had over 50 referrals and it makes you wonder just where these people would have stayed if the shelter had not been available. We have had several success stories where guests have been helped to find the right support through St Mungo’s and the Job Centre, so they now have their own accommodation and work, which is what it’s all about.

“Because the shelter has been such a great success other churches have come forward to offer their premises for next season and we are very much hoping we can run to seven nights a week.

“We need enough volunteers to be able to run it and will be recruiting in September and October.”

If you can help, call Jenny on 07375 622117 or email her on shelterlinks16@gmail.com