Inverness Night Shelter

Homeless Project Update December 2010

2010-12-23T10:37:00.000Z

The following report has been contributed by Paul Monaghan of Highland Homeless Trust

The Direct Access Accommodation is proving to be a very valuable service, with staff from Highland Homeless Trust, Blythswood Care, and volunteers from the Inverness Churches, delivering an important service to vulnerable people.

On Monday 13 December the Direct Access Accommodation entered its 8^th week of service. To date accommodation has been provided to 17 different individuals, including two women. Indeed a total of 330 nights of accommodation has been provided to vulnerable people and, in addition, church and volunteer catering teams have provided 313 meals to an average of 8 people each evening.

The number of people using the accommodation has varied between 3 and 11 people each evening but, following early growth, numbers attending the accommodation now seem to be reasonably stable.

On 9 December 2010 Highland Homeless Trust staff met with colleagues from Highland Council to review the service’s impact and, following consultation with service users, support plans for a number of the most vulnerable individuals using the accommodation have been agreed. These support plans are now being implemented and will hopefully make a lasting difference to the individuals involved. In particular it is hoped that the support plans will allow service users to access affordable, permanent accommodation, employment, training and health services.

Equally positive, Blythswood Care are now preparing to meet the clothing needs of a number of the individuals who are using the accommodation. This development followed a recent request by some of the men for help in accessing new clothing. This is a significant development and many volunteers may have noticed that the stability and safety provided by the accommodation is encouraging renewed confidence, pride and self-esteem in some of the service users.

The co-ordination between all agencies remains excellent and improving. Referrals to the accommodation have come from a broad range of sources, including churches, NHS Highland, Highland Council and police. The service remains focused on addressing the needs of the target group (those without recourse to benefits and therefore with no means to procuring accommodation of food for themselves) and is doing so effectively.

Special thanks are due to Mr David Warmbath, for co-ordinating the catering teams so diligently, and to Mr Robert Norris, Manager of the Highlander Hostel, for his contribution to the Project.

Report to Inverness Presybytery, December 2010

2010-12-15T12:34:00.002Z

The Direct Access Accommodation Project for the Homeless continues to offer refuge to those who would otherwise be rough sleeping in the city and church catering teams are being advised to cater for between 10 and 12 people. There is good co-ordination between all the agencies, and evidence that the target group (those without recourse to benefits and therefore with no means to procuring accommodation for themselves) are being successfully catered for. We are grateful to the Highland Homeless Trust, Blythswood Care and all the churches and community groups who are working together to keep people off the streets in this very cold weather.

2010-11 Homeless Project now underway

2010-12-15T12:19:00.002Z

The Direct Access Accommodation Project for the Homeless opened on 1 November 2010. A total of 13 catering teams from local churches, plus 3 community teams and another 3 teams from the Red Cross, Highland Homeless Trust, Blythswood Care and the local community are staffing the project and providing meals. Funds have been pledge by Tulloch Homes, the Inverness Common Good Fund, the Hector Gordon Russell Trust, the Co-op Community Fund and the Gannochy Trust, as well as from individuals and churches in the area.

Plans for Winter 2010-11

2010-12-15T11:21:00.001Z

Local Initiative to help Roughsleepers this coming Winter

The winter of 2010 will see a new and unique accommodation service being provided by local churches and charities to challenge roughsleeping in the Inverness area.

Congregations across Inverness have come together to provide accommodation for ‘roofless people’ throughout the Highland’s harshest winter months
. The new service builds on the successes of “Care Shelters” run by the churches of Inverness in conjunction with the Bethany Christian Trust in 2008 and 2009. This coming winter the Inverness churches are joining forces with established local charities Highland Homeless Trust and Blythswood Care to provide an improved ‘Direct Access Accommodation’ service for those who currently have no entitlement to housing, and who would otherwise be sleeping rough on the city’s streets this winter.

Vivian Roden from the Presbytery of Inverness says: “This new accommodation service which is supported by the Inverness Common Good Fund will link in very effectively with other local services for vulnerable people in the Inverness area. This new service really is a step forward and is designed for those people with no entitlement to welfare benefits or housing services. It will be operated through a co-ordinated referral system that will ensure much needed help goes to those who most desperately need it during the winter and will ensure that all agencies, including the Highland Council and the Police, will be able to access the service to make sure vulnerable people receive the best care and advice available. We are grateful for the co-operation of all the agencies, for the support and encouragement from senior officials of the Highland Council, and for the £15,000 grant from the Inverness Common Good Fund which has helped bring our plans to fruition. There are other initiatives being drawn up for the City Centre and we look forward to playing our part”.

The reasons people finding themselves without a home varies and homelessness is much more common than many people might think. Between 2007 and 2008 within the Highland area alone, around 2,000 separate households presented themselves to the local authority as homeless. That’s 2,000 families, couples or single people from all backgrounds and walks of life. 650 involved families with children.

The new service will operate from 1 November 2010 until 30 April 2011. Volunteers from the churches will cook and serve hot evening meals and so far 10 churches from 3 different denominations across the city and beyond have agreed to contribute to catering and social networking opportunities. Mr James Campbell, Chief Executive of Blythswood Care continued: “The traditional view of a homeless person is of a rough sleeper, someone perhaps “down and out” and living on the streets. Fortunately in Inverness very few people fall into this category but homelessness can affect anyone, at any time. Those that do find themselves in that position often quickly become isolated from their family, friends and communities and it’s a major task to rebuild relationships. A great deal of work has gone into establishing this fantastic new service, which will provide not just accommodation but a positive social network that we hope will have a very positive and empowering outcome not just for the individual, but for the whole community.”

Dr Paul Monaghan, Director of the Highland Homeless Trust believes the benefits of this new service to the wider community will be significant: “Often through no fault of their own, and despite the very best efforts of voluntary organisations and statutory agencies, some people find themselves without a roof over their head during our harshest winter months. Living rough during the winter, even for short periods of time, represents an obvious and significant danger to any individual’s health and wellbeing. This new service will provide much needed accommodation and support for a small number of individuals that will literally have nowhere to live this coming winter. The accommodation will provide a place of safety and a point of contact for vulnerable people and is an excellent example of what can be achieved when organisations get together to address local problems. The accommodation will provide roughsleepers in Inverness with a chance to move off the streets and into a welcoming environment and that will benefit our whole community.”

Notes:

The Presbytery of Inverness oversees all the activities of the 25 Church of Scotland churches in the Nairn and Inverness area. The Church and Community Committee’s remit is to respond to social, public and community issues; to engage Presbytery in debates on these matters; and to deal with ecumenical affairs. In addition to homelessness, issues debated recently have included Drug & Alcohol Awareness; Christian Marriage and End of Life Issues. The Inverness Churches’ Group on Homelessness is made up of 18 churches from 6 denominations, and some members from the community, who have been working together since 2008 to help homeless people in the city.

Scottish Charity SC011357
www.invernesspresbytery.co.uk

Blythswood Care is a Christian charity committed to social care projects in Europe and Asia, to international aid and to gospel ministry. In 2009, the Evanton based organisation sent aid valued at £5.2 million to ten countries. At home its Highland Food Bank provided a three-day food supply for 3,625 people. The Shoe Box Appeal raised 128,000 gift boxes for distribution to some of the poorest people in south east Europe, India and Pakistan. Social care projects cover education and child development, food aid, medical aid, care for the elderly, and the rehabilitation of addicts.

Scottish Charity SC021848
www.blythswood.org

Highland Homeless Trust provides accommodation, support and guidance to young people and adults experiencing problems with housing, alcohol, drugs, mental health problems and/or homelessness. These services are provided to some of the most vulnerable and socially disadvantaged members of our community like those who are homeless and roughsleeping, to those struggling to maintain their own home, to those living in temporary or emergency accommodation like bed and breakfasts, and to those working towards rehabilitation from a longstanding dependency in the Trust’s specialist residential accommodations.

Scottish Charity SC028837
www.homelesstrust.org.uk

Plans for next year reported by the Press and Journal

2010-06-27T17:35:00.000+01:00

The Press and Journal have reported on discussions at the June meeting of Inverness Church of Scotland Presbytery on initial plans for next year. There will be more discussion on Monday 27 June at a meeting of the Churches' Homelessness Group. Watch this space for more details.

Follow-up from Evaluation and plans for the future

2010-04-25T18:50:00.001+01:00

Following on from the Evaluation Conference at the East Church on 27th March, Inverness Presbytery’s Church & Community Committee reviewed the Care Shelter project further at their meeting three days later, and, knowing that there will be a similar need next winter, especially for Eastern Europeans, agreed to seek approval from the Presbytery to begin preparations for running another Care Shelter in 2010/11.
Inverness Presbytery gave approval at their April meeting for the Committee to begin preparations for running a Care Shelter again this year, and to enter into the necessary negotiations with other denominations and other bodies to bring this about.

The Churches’ Group discussed this further on 22nd April when it was reported that Highland Council officials had acknowledged that this year’s Care Shelter had been of benefit to the Eastern Europeans, as well as those living in temporary accommodation with no cooking facilities who had been able to have a hot meal at the Shelter. This had also promoted positive social networks. Consequently, there are indications that Highland Council might be more favourably disposed towards the Churches providing a Care Shelter for one more year for Eastern Europeans (who will become entitled to accommodation after April 2011) as well as serving meals to those without cooking facilities. This would tie in better with the Highland Council’s Homeless Strategy than what the Churches have been doing over the past two years.

Feedback from the Churches indicates that they would find it unacceptable to run a Care Shelter exclusively for Eastern Europeans. They could not turn away others presenting in need until it could be established, by means of closer co-operation and liaison with Highland Council’s Homeless Day Centre staff, what their needs were, enabling them to be referred to the source best able to help them, and we will be making a case in support of this position to Highland Council.

A lively, but healthy, debate ensued at the meeting on the best way to provide for rough sleepers. Was a Care Shelter the best option? Would providing year-round food be of more benefit? The importance of involving the other agencies in the city involved with homelessness in seeking the way forward was also agreed.

A show of hands decisively indicated support for the running of a Care Shelter again next winter, and it was also agreed to continue in partnership with the Bethany Christian Trust. The organising of a Care Shelter for next winter, and exploring with other agencies the best way forward for the future are obviously not mutually exclusive - and so we have asked the Area Housing Manager to convene a meeting of Churches’ Group representatives, Bethany, Highland Council and the other agencies helping the homeless in Inverness to begin the process of working together to find the best way forward to help rough sleepers in our city.

In the meantime, in order to be able to run a Care Shelter again this winter, we desperately need Churches and individuals to come forward with offers of church hall accommodation for the homeless, as well as catering teams (simple home cooked family meals – nothing fancy!) We also need men to volunteer to accompany female catering teams in the Shelter – and, as ever, all offers of help on the fundraising front will be met with very grateful thanks!

If you can help in any way, please contact Bob Glover on 01463 793926 (fundraising) or Vivian Roden on 07887 704 915 or vroden@btinternet.com (venues and catering). Many thanks.

One-third of city Poles in 'black hole'

2010-04-02T18:01:00.000+01:00

The Inverness Courier has been reporting on the need for a further Night Shelter next year. A decision in principle will be taken at the Presbytery meeting this Tuesday.

Evaluation Conference: Saturday 27 March at Inverness East Church

2010-03-02T10:58:00.001Z

There is to be an Evaluation Conference for the Night Shelter Project at the East Church, Inverness, on Saturday 27 March, from 1.45 to 4.45pm. The afternoon session will be open to Highland Council and other agencies and the press. For more details please email us.

Prayer request

2010-02-12T13:42:00.002Z

Please continue to pray for the Inverness Care Shelter and its service users, staff and volunteers – and also for the Conference and the ongoing talks with Highland Council.

Council Talks

2010-02-12T13:41:00.002Z

Vivian Roden and Bob Glover are to meet again with Highland Council officials later this week for further talks. We appreciate this opportunity and hope that these talks will continue.

Evaluation Confernce

2010-02-12T13:40:00.001Z

Inverness Presbytery is to host the Evaluation Conference after the Inverness Care Shelter finishes on Saturday 27th March at the East Church. Further details to follow.

Programme for Night Shelter Extension

2010-02-12T13:36:00.000Z

Following is the progamme for the extension to the Night Shelter, 1 February to 14 March 2010

1 FEB Madras St Hall Madras Street
2 FEB East Church Academy St
3 FEB Crown Church Midmills Rd
4 FEB Salvation Army Hall Tomnahurich St
5 FEB St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
6 FEB Old High Church Hall Academy Street
7 FEB Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue
8 FEB Madras St Hall Madras Street
9 FEB East Church Academy St
10 FEB Dr Black Memorial Hall Bank Street
11 FEB Salvation Army Hall Tomnahurich St
12 FEB St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
13 FEB Old High Church Hall Academy Street
14 FEB Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue
15 FEB Madras St Hall Madras Street
16 FEB East Church Academy St
17 FEB Kinmylies Church Kinmylies Way
18 FEB Salvation Army Hall Tomnahurich St
19 FEB St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
20 FEB Old High Church Hall Academy Street
21 FEB Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue
22 FEB Kinmylies Church Kinmylies Way
23 FEB Kinmylies Church Kinmylies Way
24 FEB Crown Church Midmills Road
25 FEB Kinmylies Church Kinmylies Way
26 FEB St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
27 FEB Old High Church Hall Academy Street
28 FEB Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue
1 MAR Madras St Hall Madras Street
2 MAR East Church Academy St
3 MAR Dr Black Memorial Hall Bank Street
4 MAR Salvation Army HallTomnahurich St
5 MAR St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
6 MAR Old High Church HallAcademy Street
7 MAR Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue
8 MAR Madras St Hall Madras Street
9 MAR East Church Academy St
10 MAR Dr Black Memorial Hall Bank Street
11 MAR Salvation Army Hall Tomnahurich St
12 MAR St Marys Church 32 Huntly Street
13 MAR Old High Church Hall Academy Street
14 MAR Culduthel Christian Centre Culduthel Avenue

With grateful thanks to all those who have supported this year’s Care Shelter, making it possible for the Shelter to operate.

Two Week Extension to Night Shelter

2010-02-12T13:27:00.001Z

Due to the overwhelming generosity of the churches and others in the Inverness area, and beyond, we are now extending the Inverness Care Shelter for another two weeks.

The Shelter will now run until Sunday 14th March – and our thanks go to the East Church, St Columba New Charge, St Mary’s Church, Old High St Stephen’s Church and the Culduthel Christian Centre for making their church halls available to the homeless for this extended period, as well as providing catering teams to provide meals – and also to The Free North (Madras Street Mission) and the Salvation Army who are also providing accommodation, and the catering teams from Moy, Dalarossie and Tomatin Church, Ness Bank Church and the Black Isle Volunteers who are also going to be cooking in March.

The new programme is here .

City Congregation hears Night Shelter latest

2010-02-07T21:43:00.000Z

At their Sunday service today, Old High St Stephen's congregation heard the latest about the Night Shelter from Christine Mackenzie, a member of the congregation's Mission Group and our Presbytery Elder, in a 'Minute for Mission'. You can read what she told the congregation here.

Church and Society Newsletter article

2010-01-09T14:29:00.014Z

The first edition of the New Year of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Newsletter features an article by Vivian Roden on the Night Shelter: you can read the newsletter here. For more information and to sign up for this informative newsletter, please visit the Church and Society pages on the Church of Scotland website or on Facebook.

Street life! from the Highland News

2009-12-30T21:52:00.001Z

The Highland News offers this insight into the work of David MacIver, Streetwork Project Officer with Highland Council in their 30 December issue.

Timetable- Revised

2009-12-23T20:04:00.000Z

INVERNESS NIGHT CARE SHELTER

Timetable

7 DEC Madras St Hall, Madras Street
8 DEC East Church, Academy St
9 DEC Crown Church, Midmills Rd
10 DEC Salvation Army Hall, Tomnahurich St
11 DEC St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
12 DEC Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
13 DEC Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue
14 DEC Madras St Hall, Madras Street
15 DEC East Church, Academy St
16 DEC Dr Black Memorial Hall, Bank Street
17 DEC Salvation Army Hall, Tomnahurich St
18 DEC St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
19 DEC Dr Black Memorial Hall, Bank Street
20 DEC Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue
21 DEC Madras St Hall, Madras Street
22 DEC East Church, Academy St
23 DEC Crown Church, Midmills Rd
24 DEC Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
25 DEC St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
26 DEC Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
27 DEC Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue
28 DEC Madras St Hall, Madras Street
29 DEC East Church, Academy St
30 DEC Dr Black Memorial Hall, Bank Street
31 DEC Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
1 JAN St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
2 JAN Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
3 JAN Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue
4 JAN Madras St Hall, Madras Street
5 JAN East Church, Academy St
6 JAN Crown Church, Midmills Rd
7 JAN Salvation Army Hall, Tomnahurich St
8 JAN St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
9 JAN Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
10 JAN Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue
11 JAN Madras St Hall, Madras Street
12 JAN East Church, Academy St
13 JAN Dr Black Memorial Hall, Bank Street
14 JAN Salvation Army Hall, Tomnahurich St
15 JAN St Marys Church, 32 Huntly Street
16 JAN Old High Church Hall, Academy Street
17 JAN Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue

Access to church venues will not be possible before 9:30pm.

Evening meals will be provided by local churches from 9:30-11:00pm.

Breakfast is available at 6:30am. Service users must leave the venue by 7am

Staff members will be on duty each night.

Transport from Waterloo Place, Homeless Day Centre will be provided at 9:15pm and at 9:30pm for those wanting to use the Shelter

ZERO TOLERANCE on drug use or dealing

NO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION inside the venue

NO SMOKING inside the venue

RESPECT for others

A project organised by Bethany Christian Trust. For enquiries, please phone:

07581 028 200 or 0131 467 3030 (day) or email careshelter@bethanyct.com

Bethany Christian Trust is a registered charity SC003783 www.bethanychristiantrust.com

Change of venue for Christmas Eve and Hogmonay

2009-12-23T20:01:00.000Z

Please note that the venue of the Night Shelter on Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year's Eve (31 December) has been moved to THE OLD HIGH CHURCH HALL, ACADEMY STREET.

News Update: Christmas 2009

2009-12-17T19:24:00.004Z

INVERNESS CARE SHELTER NEWS UPDATE CHRISTMAS 2009

As Christmas approaches it’s a good feeling to know that this year, in Inverness, there will be “room at the Inn” for the city’s rough sleepers and that nobody need sleep out in the cold.

This is due in part to the Care Shelter run by the Bethany Christian Trust in partnership with Inverness Churches which is operating in different church halls across the city until 28th February.

Our actions do not imply any criticism of the fine work being done with the homeless by other agencies in the city such as Highland Council, the Salvation Army, Highland Homeless Trust, Street Pastors, and the constituent members of Homeless Action Inverness.

Inverness Presbytery and other Inverness Churches got involved last year to help plug a gap in provision for a small number of people who were slipping through the net – foreign nationals who had not registered with the Workers’ Registration Scheme and a small number of people leading chaotic lifestyles manifesting in extreme anti-social behaviour making it very difficult for accommodation to be found for them. Statistics gleaned from the Pilot Project last February showed that seven rough sleepers with no alternative viable accommodation used the Shelter, and the estimated figure of 5 – 7 (Highland Council figures, not ours) has been fairly constant since then, and all our plans and projections for this year’s Shelter have been based on this figure.

It’s been something of a white knuckle ride getting all the funding together, as well as all the venues and catering teams. But we did it! Thanks to the generosity of the churches and others we now have all the volunteers we need and the money in place.

No fewer than 18 churches from across the denominational boundaries are actively involved in providing accommodation for the homeless and/or providing hot meals – and even more churches have donated funds to the project. 4 catering teams from the community are also cooking this year. It’s great how this project has brought the churches and the community together in a common purpose to the benefit of some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

But the Churches can’t take all the credit for this year’s improved provision for the homeless. Highland Council have taken over some new premises to work with the difficult-to-accommodate people we thought we would be working with, and last week were managing to pretty much meet the temporary accommodation need.

The only downside for us is that this has resulted in lower numbers than expected in the Care Shelter because we didn’t know this new provision was going to be in place – but obviously we can’t complain about Highland Council meeting more of the needs of the homeless! And at a time of stringent cutbacks, we take our hats off to Housing & Property Services for being able to do this. More power to their elbow!

Numbers using the Shelter have been low, but steady with 2 – 7 sleeping over in the first week (8 service users in all; 4 from Eastern Europe and 4 from the UK) Numbers are slightly up this week. On 15th December 11 ate at the Shelter and 6 stayed over. David MacIver, Highland Council’s Streetwork Project Officer, has asked me to point out that it is inaccurate to say that three rough sleepers died on the streets in 2007. At the time of their deaths, 2 were no longer rough sleeping, and it’s not known whether or not the third man was.

To end on a positive note, Presbytery/Churches’ Group reps met with the Inverness City Manager and other senior Council officials recently to discuss the future. Discussions are ongoing but there may be another Evaluation Conference in the Spring and all agreed that the talks had been very useful.

For further info see the excellent blog set up by Rev Peter Nimmo of Old High St Stepehen’s at http://invernessnightshelter.blogspot.com. Please use this to sign up for e-mail updates, comment, tell us what you think etc.

With grateful thanks to all our supporters and with our very best wishes to all for a Happy Christmas and a Good New Year!

Opening Update

2009-12-13T22:01:00.001Z

INVERNESS CARE SHELTER SHELTER OPENING UPDATE DECEMBER 2009

A VERY BIG THANK YOU

To Everyone Who Has Made This Year’s Care Shelter Possible.

The Presbytery of Inverness and the Inverness Churches’ Group were glad to see the Inverness Care Shelter opening its doors last Monday night for the first of the 84 nights it will operate in church halls across the city until 28 February.

Our grateful thanks to all 9 churches (from 5 different denominations) who are providing accommodation – Crown Church of Scotland; Culduthel Christian Centre; East Church of Scotland; Free North Church (Madras Street Mission); Kinmylies Church of Scotland; Old High St Stephen’s Church of Scotland; St Columba New Charge Church of Scotland; St Mary’s Catholic Church; and the Salvation Army – and to the 20 catering teams (from 4 different denominations and 4 from the community) who have put together teams to cook in the Shelter - from: Ardersier & Petty Church of Scotland; Black Isle Volunteers; Cawdor Church of Scotland; Crown Church of Scotland; Croy & Dalcross Church of Scotland; Culduthel Christian Centre; Culloden: The Barn Church of Scotland; Daviot & Dunlichity Church of Scotland; East Church of Scotland; Grace Church; Individuals’ Catering Team 1; Individuals’ Catering Team 2; Inverness College; Kinmylies Church of Scotland; Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin Church of Scotland; Ness Bank Church of Scotland; Old High St Stephen’s Church of Scotland; St Columba New Charge Church of Scotland; St Mary’s Catholic Church and St Ninian’s Catholic Church.

We are very grateful to all who have helped bring this about – the Churches who provided their halls, and sometimes funding for catering as well, the other catering teams who fundraised to meet the cost of their meals; the catering teams which have come from the wider community; Crown Church of Scotland for generously providing the cost of two meals to be cooked by two community teams; Mrs Margaret Ross of the Salvation Army who provided Food & Hygiene Training for the catering volunteers free of charge as the Salvation Army’s gift to the Shelter; David Warmbath, our Catering Co-ordinator; all who have donated to, or volunteered to help with, the Care Shelter (we now have all the volunteers we need); Highland Council for the use of the Homeless Day Centre Minibus and storage space; all those who have held fundraising events, including the Highland Theological College students who bravely organised a Sponsored Sleep Out at the end of last month! The North British Hotels Trust, the Church of Scotland Parish Development Fund, the Co-op, the Margaret Douglas Trust, the Hector Gordon Russell Trust and the Gannochy Trust who all provided financial assistance; Bob Glover, who has worked tirelessly on fundraising, helped by Alex Hutcheson; Rev Peter Nimmo of Old High St Stephen’s Church is is going to host a webpage for us again – details to follow - and last but not least, the Bethany Christian Trust for running the Shelter for us.