Night shelter could remain open all year round if plans come to fruition

Lynn Night Shelter is set to to reopen next month – and for the first time is planning to be open all year round.After being established in 2017 as a registered charity providing overnight shelter during the winter months, since 2020 it has provided 24/7 emergency accommodation at St John’s House on Blackfriars Road.It offer people a safe space, a room of their own, hot meals, 24-hour pastoral care, and one-to-one support to help address barriers to housing and find suitable move-on accommodation.

Staff at the shelter work closely with other organisations providing specific support to guests on areas such as debt, addiction, or immigration, while they also welcome individuals who have struggled to engage with services elsewhere.This summer, the staff are pleased to have been able to complete the first phase of St John’s House Project – which will increase the number of guests the shelter can accommodate.The second phase, which will extend the existing building, is due to begin within the next year, and fundraising for the work will begin this autumn. The St John’s House Project is the Night Shelter’s response to the continuing need for services that staff have witnessed.Between November 2023 and June this year, they were able to accommodate a total of 32 people out of 109 who were referred or self-referred to them. The project will enable workers to provide vital help to a greater number of the most vulnerable people in our community.The shelter team, led by co-ordinator Lucy McKitterick, says that continuing support from the community has enabled them to make a decision to open year-round.The Night Shelter currently receives no local or national government funding – so every fundraising event and every donation of money or food helps to make their work possible. Staff are also grateful to their volunteers who give up their time, and are delighted to be offering three information evenings in the coming weeks to anyone with an interest in joining the team.The information evenings will be taking place on Thursday, September 26 at the Night Shelter, and Thursdays, October 10 and 17 at St John’s Church from 7pm each night. There is no need to book and everyone is welcome to attend.Each evening is a stand-alone event and includes input from volunteers about what being part of the night shelter means to them, as well as essential information around safeguarding.Before the premises closed for the summer, staff asked guests if the night shelter had made a difference to how they felt about themselves or their future.One user said: “The Night Shelter made a big difference. Staying here put things into perspective about where I want to be and where I am now. It’s crucial to Lynn, this place”.