HOMELESSNESS
How you can use your spare room to tackle homelessness this winter
The cost-of-living crisis is likely to see more people fall into homelessness and you may be wondering how you can help.
You’ve already bought a Big Issue magazine but how else can you take direct action? If you have some spare space then the Nightstop service could be for you.
The service allows volunteers to sign up to offer young people experiencing homelessness a place to stay for the night. Volunteers sign up and then, after background checks have been carried out, they are asked to make themselves available to provide a bed, an evening meal and breakfast to a youngster referred by a charity, college or social services. All hosts receive expenses for offering up accommodation.
Funded by Depaul UK, Nightstop runs in more than 30 locations around the UK. Last year the network saw around 400 people offer a place to stay, totalling more than 6,000 safe nights of accommodation.
Andrew Jackson, 31, used the service seven times when he found himself rough sleeping in Middlesbrough after his relationship broke down in Blackpool. Seven months later he is housed and holding down a job as a bricklayer.
Jackson said: “I was just really grateful. Just with how fast they helped me and how fast things could have gone wrong.”
Hosts like Lindsay,
