Video: Wrexham night shelter opens doors

A night shelter based in church buildings in Wrexham has opened for people who sleep rough in the town.

The Wrexham Church and Community Night Shelter has opened and can accommodate up to ten men and women in seven venues, offering a warm welcome, a hot meal and a safe bed.

The project run by Housing Justice Cymru and supported by the Diocese of St Asaph, is being operated in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council and other agencies working with those who are homeless in the town. Two project co-ordinators, Sarah Wheat and Michael McKenna lead a team of seven venue co-ordinators and more than 100 volunteers.

Project co-ordinator, Sarah Wheat said: “We opened a week ago and we’re delighted to be welcoming our guests. They are lovely and our volunteers are enjoying getting to know them and spending time with them.

“We’re really pleased to say that one of our guests has already found new accommodation.

“The shelter will be running until the middle of March, which will hopefully cover the coldest weeks of the year.

Wrexham has the second highest number of people sleeping rough in Wales, and the highest per head of the population.

This is the third year that Housing Justice Cymru has opened a night shelter in Wrexham. The venues are provided by different Christian denominations across the town and attract volunteers of all faith backgrounds and none.

Guests to the Wrexham project are picked up each night by bus from a central location and transported to the shelter venue. Volunteers and guests share a two-course home-cooked hot meal together and have time to socialise before lights out. Popular activities are card games, reading the paper and where facilities allow, playing pool. The following morning, after a cooked breakfast, guests are provided with a packed lunch and returned by bus to the centre of Wrexham.

To find out more about the project, visit https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/faith-in-action/tackling-homelessness/