Shelter says it is preparing for 'very busy winter'

Slowomir stayed at the shelter during last winter where he said he enjoyed several hot meals

A seasonal homeless shelter that has reopened for a third year said its staff were preparing for a "very busy winter" ahead.

Hope Works, formerly known as the King's Arms Project, will open its premises on Harpur Street, Bedford, to people sleeping rough on 1 December until 16 March 2026.

Kirstie Cook, the charity's chief executive, said 20 beds would be available every night as well as food, clothing and support.

She said the charity, which is aided by more than 100 volunteers, was expecting to be "busy from the get-go" as it had seen an increase in the "complexity in the challenges people are facing".

Hope Works said it would only be able to run the shelter with the help from its volunteers

Ms Cook said while the shelter was open from 2 December 2024 to 10 March, 1,400 beds were provided to 104 guests and 2,718 meals were handed out.

The charity also offered its guests skills workshops, employment coaching and confidence-building sessions.

The shelter is partly-funded by Bedford Borough Council and Ms Cook said the charity needed to raise an additional £15,000 to run the project.

"We are anticipating a very busy winter, given we know well over 20 people are sleeping rough in Bedford.

"We know this number is already higher than other years, so we expect it to be busy from the get-go," she added.

Kirstie Cook said the charity helped support the people that came through the doors

Ms Cook said the shelter provided accommodation for males and females, who all sleep in its main hall between partitions.

"You'd hope if charities like us are doing our jobs the numbers would be dropping year on year, but we're seeing an increasing numbers of complexity in the challenges people are facing.

"It's getting harder and taking longer to find accommodation for people to live in.

"We can provide support in the night, and our day outreach team will work with [the charity] Smart CJS and the council to find appropriate and more stable accommodation.

"It's an absolute tragedy it's needed but I'm glad we're able to do it, the people of Bedford are incredibly generous," she said.

Twenty beds are made up for people to sleep in at the shelter every night

Ms Cook added the teams also get to meet some "amazing volunteers and some incredible guests".

"It's our community, it's our town and we're willing to pitch in and do this together," she said.

Partitions are placed around the main hall to give guests some degree of privacy