News

Rough sleepers have a night shelter thanks to St Andrew’s Church and the Kings Arms project

December 7, 2023

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If visitors come to Bedford and spend time in the town centre, they will become aware of an increasing number of people sleeping rough.

Concerned about the plight of the homeless, members of St Andrew’s Church on Kimbolton Road, Bedford recognised the urgent need to take action and provide a warm, safe place for the homeless community during the winter.

Faced with the absence of a direct access night shelter, St Andrew’s decided not to stand by and let people freeze and potentially face life-threatening situations on the streets.

A partnership has been established with the King’s Arms Project to address this issue by creating a Winter Night Shelter.

This facility will offer 20 beds to those who would otherwise be sleeping rough.

The King’s Arms Project, a Bedford-based charity dedicated to tackling homelessness, displacement, and isolation, will implement outreach, advocacy, supported accommodation, and opportunities for personal growth and community, always adopting a person-centred approach.

To launch the project, St Andrew’s provided seed funding of £25,000, enabling the initiative to begin, volunteers to be sought, and training to commence.

Upon the opening of the night shelter on December 1, members of St Andrew’s were actively involved in cooking the evening meal, serving breakfast, and hosting an associated Warm Room during daytime hours.

Watch Rev Lucy Davis and CEO Kirstie Cook discuss the project.