Hafan y Dref ‘safe space’ will continue with no interruption of service as Red Cross step aside

A town centre ‘safe space’ that offers support to people feeling vulnerable or unwell on a night out in town will continue, despite the current provider stepping aside.

Hafan y Dref welfare centre – located at the bottom of Town Hill near St Giles Car Park – offers a triage-service and immediate first aid if you’re injured or suffering from too much to drink.

The centre has been staffed by British Red Cross volunteers since opening, and is funded by Wrexham County Borough Council, Nightsafe, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Welsh Ambulance Service.

In an announcement on New Years Eve the Red Cross team said that it would be the last time they were providing the service.

The Red Cross said, “Unfortunately the Red Cross has made the difficult decision to withdraw from services that involve providing first aid to the public. As the work we do in the welfare centre includes providing first aid, we will no longer be able to deliver the service.”

We asked Wrexham Council if they would be seeking to recommission the service, and that we had been told the end date for the service was around April and if any early notification had been given to the council. We also noted the Welsh Government’s £200,000 funding in 2015 to convert the centre, and asked if any of that cash would have to be given back if the service ceased.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “We are sorry to see Red Cross leave Hafan y Dref, and want to thank their team for all of the hard work they have put in since the welfare centre opened.

“Although the Red Cross has withdrawn from Hafan y Dref, a new provider has been appointed and welfare services will continue to be offered from the site – there will be no interruption of service, and welfare services will still be provided to those contributing to Wrexham’s night-time economy.

“The tendering process for further provision will take place as planned in the spring.”

Just before Christmas the Council issued a news release on the centre noting 48 ambulances have been cancelled so far in 2019 with more appropriate alternatives to 999 being found.

In December Michelle McBurnie, British Red Cross Volunteer said, “The centre is there to help anybody that needs it whilst on a night out in Wrexham. It ensures that Wrexham is a safe place for a night out as well as reducing the strain on other partner organisations in the town centre.”

The shift runs from 10.30pm to 4.30am overnight and sometimes-extra shifts are laid on for Christmas and bank holiday weekends, when most people would want to enjoy themselves with family; yet a regular group of volunteers willingly go out and ensure that the shifts are covered.

Between July and September this year, 95% of people who attended the welfare centre were treated for less than 30 mins before going on to enjoy the rest of their night or being taken home by a relative or friend.

The centre formally opened on December 18th 2015 after a successful pilot pop-up centre which operated during the August Bank Holiday Weekend that year.

Hafan Y Dref will be open tonight 10.30-4.30. Tonight our #volunteers will be providing welfare & first aid in @wrexham town centre for the very last time. Thank you everyone for your support over the last 4 years. #WrexhamWelfare #TeamNorthWales #RedCrossFamily #MakingMemories pic.twitter.com/yeo7nlwtdL

— British Red Cross North Wales ILCR (@BRCNorthWalesER) December 31, 2019

In 11 months in 2018 it had saved 56 ambulance call outs, saving around £55,000, let alone the benefits of having the resources available for others.

In similar 2018 stats it was revealed that 79 per cent of people come into the centre themselves. Others are helped there by door staff (seven per cent), friends (four per cent), police officers (four per cent), street pastors (three per cent) and so on. Door staff and CCTV operators can also radio for assistance at the scene of an incident.

Often, people visit the centre for some ‘time out’ and can have a coffee or a lie down, or recover from over-indulging. Most cases are alcohol-related. Although staff have given support and advice to people with mental health issues too.

The focus is on providing a ‘social return’, with people able to get support when they need it, and public health messages being passed on. 96 per cent of people who have been supported by the centre are able to go on to enjoy the rest of their night out.

Previously local police have outlined how referring people to the centre has also freed up policing resources, with no negative effect for those referred.