Bristol's 24-hour homeless shelter set to reopen

It’s not an easy task to try and turn a former council office block into a home but the team working to reopen Bristol’s only 24-hour shelter for people who are homeless have done an admirable job with limited resources.

“We really want to make this a space where people can feel safe,” says Richard Chilvers, deputy manager of the shelter, which is run by St Mungo’s.

“A lot of women who come through here have been traumatised by experiences and this gives them space to begin the recovery journey. We want to get people back on their feet as quickly as possible.”

St Anne’s first opened early in November 2018 for the winter months after Bristol City Council received £1.1m from the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative to be fund the project over two years.

The nature of the funding and urgent need to help people off the streets meant that plans had to be pulled together quickly, with most of the focus on making the building safe and secure.

Richard says that this year, there is huge potential to build on the work already done and improve on the environment and support available to people.

“Dormitories are hard to live in, so creating more private spaces in the communal rooms is important. That allows people to have that sense of space,” says Richard.

“We really want this place to be a positive place for people.”

Prior to opening last year, concerns were raised by residents about the impact of the shelter on the neighbourhood, but Richard says it has really turned into a community project, with a number of locals now coming in to volunteer and help paint murals.

The shelter will reopen on Tuesday, October 1 for six months.

Full article https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/bristols-24-hour-homeless-shelter-set-to-reopen/