Homeless shelter in Swindon urgently appeals for donations

Swindon Night Shelter first started offering a safe space for rough sleepers back in 2009 on a weekly basis at a church and ten years later the team opened a permanent space - The Haven day centre on Queens Drive.

Now they are appealing for the community’s help to donate items like sleeping bags, tents, rucksacks of any size, camping mats and underwear to help those still on the streets. 

Swindon Night Shelter manager Dawn Prosser said: “We have seen a spike in people in need for various reasons and generally a gradual increase. Normally we have a stack of things people need but we haven’t got anything. We are just so busy at the moment.

“It can be people who have come in from other areas, like people who haven’t got access to public funds. We also see people who have broken up after a relationship and find themselves homeless, which is beyond their control. It might be temporary until they get themselves sorted, but they still need to get themselves sorted.

Dawn Prosser, Manager of Swindon Night Shelter (Image: Dawn Prosser)

“The council has been doing a really good job, as soon as they see them, they get them assessed and they suggest they come here. They usually get them in somewhere that night, but some decide to stay outside.

“The Haven is a social space for people to come to a safe supported place, so they can rest and get the help they need. We have security on all night and every weekend so people can feel safe and secure.

“Our food outreach programme feeds around 600 to 800 people each month and that’s all across Swindon. People choose their own items, from frozen and fresh food, and have a dignified shopping experience.

The shelter currently houses 14 people in two mobile units, which were funded by government grants, offering them meals, shower facilities, access to computers, laundry facilities and work experience opportunities.

Dawn added: “We rely on donations - we run the day centre on grants, financial donations and table-top sales we have once a month.

"We always take on volunteers and people can have a look on our Facebook page to see which items we need. Items like tents and sleeping bags don’t have to be brand new to donate them.”