Bridgwater's rough sleepers offered support to get off streets

The outreach sessions run twice a week in Bridgwater

An outreach service is offering help and support to enable rough sleepers in a rural town get off the streets.

The ARC Outreach team hold drop-in services for the homeless twice a week at at Westfield Church in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Support includes a hot meal and advice about other services such as rehab.

Lisa Jarvis, a drug and alcohol recovery navigator, said other "harm reduction" initiatives include needle exchanges and help with medication.

She told BBC Radio Somerset: "Some of them have addiction and drug and alcohol problems, and we have got several rehab places that we can refer people on to."

'Harm reduction

The service has a focus on "harm reduction" so people can be signposted to other services, including needle exchanges and pharmacies that will do their daily pickups for their medication, she said.

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Ms Javis spoke as Somerset West and Taunton Council continues to work towards its plan to end homelessness in the county by 2027.

It announced the target in March and said it wanted to provide more accommodation for those most in need.

The authority will use supported shelter Canonsgrove, which has operated during the pandemic, to supply housing for another two years.

Ending homelessness

Speaking at the time, executive member for housing, Fran Smith, said: "I think we can do this within the timescale, and it's our intention to move forward with this.

"We have decided that Canonsgrove is part of the mix, but we want to move forward in providing other properties and we would like to retain it for two years in order for us to find these other properties."