It is 30 years since the Nightshelter was founded back in 1988, when various buildings throughout Winchester were utilised before our permanent premises were established in Jewry Street in 1997. The Nightshelter moved from church halls, to properties in Colebrook Street, Middlebrook Street, Moorside, St.Thomas Street and Andover Road before coming to rest in their current base. It is thanks to the support of the local Winchester population that we have morphed into the charity we are today, proud recipients of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (an MBE for charities) with over 260 volunteers and having helped thousands of people experiencing homelessness during the 30 years.

The Nightshelter provides many more services than their name suggests and has recently expanded to provide “move-on” accommodation as a step towards independence when their residents are ready. This means that we now accommodate 25 people at any one time in 3 different locations.

Michele Price, the Nightshelter Manager, said: “Homelessness can happen to anyone, and over the last 30 years the Nightshelter has grown and evolved enormously. As the reality of homelessness has changed and become more complex over time, so have the needs of those experiencing homelessness and the way we respond to them. 30 years ago the shelter was only open during the winter, offered a basic level of food, with camp beds in one room. Today we are an almost 24/7 service providing a huge range of vital support options to our residents, from counselling, psychotherapy, advocacy and financial advice, to cookery and nutrition workshops, IT and employment skills – and very importantly additional support for those wanting to improve their wellbeing and coping skills.

We look forward to celebrating our journey over three decades. If you would like to join us on Saturday 8th September 2- 4pm at Milner Hall, St Peter’s Church, Jewry St, Winchester

then please email admin@wcns.org.uk.

For further information please visit www.wcns.org.uk, email admin@wcns.org.uk or call 01962 862050. For our latest news and updates, please follow us on Facebook/WinchesterChurchesNightshelter and Twitter @WinShelter.