Newark and Sherwood District Council is working with the Newark Churches Together to develop a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, which when activated will provide emergency shelter for rough sleepers should freezing temperatures descend on the district.
The Government’s strategy ‘No one left out – Communities ending rough sleeping’ makes a pledge to eliminate rough sleeping by 2012. Although a regular winter shelter is not available in Newark and Sherwood, plans are being put in place to provide an emergency shelter at Barnbygate Methodist Church in Newark, should the severe weather protocol be triggered. This church has been chosen as it is in a central location and has the space to provide shelter and the facilities to prepare warm food and drinks for rough sleepers.
The protocol will be triggered when the Meteorological Office forecasts that temperatures will fall to zero degrees (freezing) or below for three consecutive nights.
The council’s Housing Options, Energy and Home Support Manager, Leanne Monger, said "More than 20 trained volunteers are already on stand-by to support the district council and help run the shelter should it be needed. I would like to thank the Newark Churches Together for their valued support.
"The latest annual estimated figure of five rough sleepers in the Newark and Sherwood area, which has been submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government, has been estimated through local intelligence from key local partners and findings from a county-wide homelessness snapshot survey, called Homeless Watch.
"Any member of the public who sees someone sleeping rough during periods of extended cold weather, or would like to help through donations to the church or by providing non- perishable food items, should contact the council’s Housing Options Team at Kelham Hall on 01636 655546, or 01636 650000 if out of hours.
"Any rough sleeper who stays will be given breakfast and provided with housing options support and advice and, if needed, referred to other agencies to help prevent them from returning to the streets."
The council’s cabinet member with responsibility for homelessness, Cllr Bruce Laughton, said: "Having any number of people sleeping rough in our district is unacceptable, and it is unthinkable that someone could die from the cold when shelter could be available.
"Homeless people are often some of the most vulnerable in our society. It is therefore imperative that, when temperatures plummet, we provide somewhere warm and dry for them to stay overnight. In the past, any known rough sleepers from the Newark area will have been signposted to shelters in nearby towns but that won’t be necessary with this facility in place.
"We already have some fabulous volunteers from the local churches but if anyone else wishes to contribute, they should contact the council’s homelessness team who can give them the requisite training."
Newark & Sherwood District Council
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