Female-only night shelter to open before Christmas in Northampton

More than 50 individual people took refuge in the New Covenant Church chapel's halls between December and March in 2018, in a community effort helped by some 150 Northampton volunteers.

This year the Pastures Winter Night Shelter, a joint venture between New Covenant Church and Shine, is opening the shelter and refuge for women between 8am and 7pm for 100 nights.

At the shelter there are 11 beds in a shared space for women who will be given a free, hot evening meal, a clean and warm sleeping space, free shower facilities and will have their laundry washed.

The shelter will open every night from December 21 through to March 31, however, while the church was supported by a £9,000 grant by the Big Lottery Fund last year, this winter the are going it alone and will have to operate through their own means.

People who stay at the church will also get a free breakfast before they leave in the morning, help from the council outreach team and practical support to set goals and transition into permanent accommodation.

It comes as more than half a dozen homeless people lost their lives in Northampton during a calendar year, official figures have revealed, marking the town out as the worst in the region for such deaths.

The New Covenant Church is based opposite the Jaguar Showroom in Kettering Road. For more information on how to help, email [email protected].

Meanwhile, the church is accepting any cash or material donations to help the shelter, and in particular, are keen to stockpile coats, socks and sleeping bags.