Southampton Churches Winter Support is a partnership of churches in Southampton which aims to provide overnight accommodation for low-risk homeless people during the winter months. Under the name of Southampton Churches Winter Shelter, we successfully ran a similar scheme during January and February 2020.

This winter, we have a more ambitious plan to provide overnight accommodation in a single purpose-built location within the Lighthouse Church for up to eight rough sleepers for 9 weeks in total, beginning hopefully at the end of December. These rough sleepers are likely to have no recourse to public funds (so-called NRPF) and are consequently ineligible for any other provision.

The constant threat posed by the Coronavirus has meant that our plans have had to be modified in order to minimise the chances of infection for guests and volunteers, for instance, by providing a single accommodation 'pod' for each guest and having strict guidelines regarding face coverings, hygiene and social distancing. This has involved our developing an extensive risk assessment which has now been supported by Public Health officials. Anyone eligible and wishing to apply to become a volunteer for the scheme is required to complete and return the attached application form and Volunteer Coronavirus Risk Assessment Form to the address shown. Also attached are the role descriptions for the three shifts for which we need volunteers: Breakfast, Arrivals and Overnight

Click on the links below for the relevant information

Covid Risk Assessment

Volunteer Application Form

Arrivals Shift Information

Night Shift Information

Breakfast Shift Information