Homeless charity needs new volunteers to meet demand

Nigel is one of 60 active volunteers at the Garden House

A charity supporting homeless people says it needs more volunteers after seeing an increase in the number of new people seeking help.

The Garden House in Peterborough, run by the Light Project Peterborough, is a day respite centre for rough sleepers across the city.

It supported 243 people in March, with 55 new people presenting as homeless - the highest figure seen by the organisation since April last year.

The charity said demand for its services “continues to rise” amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The Garden House supports rough sleepers across Peterborough

Garden House visitors receive support from housing officers, GPs, drug and alcohol specialists, a mental health team and other professionals.

The charity said the cost-of-living crisis had had contributed to an increase in homelessness.

“People have also been losing their jobs (either through redundancies or health issues) which can lead to a number of consequences such as family breakdown, losing their home, having issues with their mental health," it said.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the Garden House supported 820 people, including 140 women and 97 young people aged between 18 and 25.

Last month, it supported 265 people with 1,867 visits between them - the highest number recorded by the charity.

According to the Garden House, in the annual count of rough sleepers in the city, published in November, 13% were women.

The charity said: “Women are more likely to have a priority need than men. They are also more worried about getting support, especially in male-dominated environments.

“Women will more likely be hidden homeless or find ways of having a ‘roof over their heads’ through other means, such as sex working.

"We’re working hard to provide support to these groups of women.”

Sav and Michal are volunteers at the rough sleeper centre

Since November, the Garden House has stayed open seven days a week and increased its night shelter support for rough sleepers, which has led to a rise in visitors.

But the organisation said it needed more volunteers to meet rising demand.

In March, 60 active volunteers from the Garden House spent 575 hours of volunteering, which included peer support, Night shelter, Chaplaincy support.

A volunteer and supporter celebration evening was held on Tuesday to show appreciation for the charity's volunteers.

“We’re always looking out for more volunteers, especially at weekends, and love for people to join our team," it said.