Bishop's Stortford Winter Night Shelter ramps up fundraising

Bishop's Stortford Winter Night Shelter has set up a QR code to boost its fundraising efforts as it opens its doors to the homeless.

Manager David Perry has turned to technology to link supporters to the Facebook page of the refuge at Holy Trinity Church in South Street where they can make online donations.

Each winter, the charity needs around £30,000 to pay the running costs of its service to accommodate up to six men who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets in the harshest of the winter weather.

A team of trained volunteers works in shifts to staff the refuge, providing hot meals, clean clothes and a place to wash and sleep.

To keep the premises Covid-safe, individual pods have been constructed so each guest, who is risk assessed and referred by East Herts Council, has a small bedroom.

The project, set up in 2015 by Canon Reverend Mandy Brown, who retired earlier this year, and the congregation, is hoping to expand with a £450,000 scheme to convert the former church hall into a permanent shelter.

Currently, the refuge closes in March or April, when spring arrives, but it remained shut all last winter because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, then, as now, David and his team continued to provide year-round outreach services.

He said: "I created the Facebook page so people can donate online etc as it was the easiest way."

He said that catering and maintaining volunteer numbers were the biggest challenges this year. "We won't need any clothing, apart from underwear, because the guests can be kitted out by the Salvation Army shop. Any cakes will be gratefully accepted."

A group of Prince's Trust volunteers is collecting donations of toiletries such as roll-on deodorant, shower gel and soap, winter accessories including gloves and scarves, plus biscuits, sweets, hot chocolate sachets, lip balm, puzzle books, wordsearches, pens, pencils and notepads to create Christmas gift boxes for the shelter users.

Nikky Wilkins, team leader of the Prince's Trust Cheshunt Team Programme, who co-ordinates Team 23 based at Bishop's Stortford fire station, said that Christmas wrapping paper would also be appreciated.

Items can be dropped in a green crate at the front of the fire station in Patmore Close. The deadline for donations is Tuesday December 7.