Spotlight: Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter
The Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter (BCWNS) is in it’s fourth year of running.
This year 16 churches have offered their venues to host the shelter from January 1st until April 5th, 2020.
More than 500 volunteers from more than 50 churches and the wider community have come together to give their time and energy to serve the guests.
The shelter provides an evening meal, safe place to sleep and breakfast the next day. There are volunteers who help by doing a shift at a venue as well as those who cook, do laundry and move mattresses.
The shelter has 12 bed spaces available each night and the same 12 guests move round to each of the venues. This gives them time to build relationships with the volunteers and with the other guests.
The guests are assessed by St. Mungo’s before being referred to our project. St. Mungo’s refers those with low support needs which creates a safe, calm environment within the shelter. Many guests have commented to us on how safe they feel.
Volunteers always comment on how rewarding they find being part of a team serving some of the most vulnerable in Bristol.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED?
You can register with us for BRISTOL WINTER NIGHT SHELTER 2021 at http://bcwns.org
Once you have registered with us we will contact you by October and invite you to one of our training session held in November where you can find out more.
If you would like to offer your church as a potential venue to host the shelter then please contact Amanda at bristolchurcheswintershelter@gmail.com
BRISTOL CHURCHES WINTER MIGHT SHELTER 20 19 IMPACT REPORT & VIDEO
In 2019, churches opened their doors and significantly contributed to the provision of beds offered to the homeless from January through to March.
Watch the BRISTOL WINTER NIGHT SHELTER 2019 IMPACT REPORT summary video above or download the digital pdf copy here.
Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter 2019 Impact report https://issuu.com/crisiscentreministries/docs/bcwns_impact_report_2019-low_resolu