Host Winter Night Shelter

Our Winter Night Shelter is hosted by churches across Redhill, Reigate, Horley and Merstham. Having more venues would enable us to increase our supporter base, spread the project among more venues and also open up the possibility of running the shelter for longer. It run for 12 weeks December to March, but more venues and more volunteers mean we could open for longer.

What does it mean to host the Winter Night Shelter?

Our venues share our mission to serve and give shelter to people found without a home during the winter months. They offer their hall and catering space free of charge and help publicise the project among the people connected with their venue and encourage them to get involved usually by volunteering is some way.

Each church has a ‘Venue Co-ordinator’, someone who liaises with Renewed Hope over the year regarding the planning of shelter, for example training, organising the bookings. During the winter season, the Venue Co-ordinator helps drive publicity within their church, ensure the church is ready to host the shelter each night. They will know the building well and be able to arrange opening and locking up for our volunteers.

Venues simply need a space large enough to have 10-12 blow-up mattresses spaced out and a fully equipped kitchen. To ensure the shelter stays contained to one area of a building and Guests stay supervised, it is useful for the toilets to be accessible via the eating/dining area. In some venues this area in the same room. In others the Guests eat in one area and sleep in another room.

Why Churches?

There are several reasons we have churches hosting the shelter. Renewed Hope started as a result of a few church leaders seeing a need for support and shelter for the homeless. These churches offered up their church halls to get a night shelter off the ground, and many of those are still hosting today. The project grew from there as more churches wanted to get involved.

We find churches have an active volunteer base within their membership and so a venue is not relying solely on external volunteers unfamiliar with the building.

Could I help host?

If you think you know a place which could host our night shelter and have a group of people who could help get it off the ground, please get in touch with our Night Shelter Lead Anna Coe on anna@renewedhope.org.uk.