AN APPEAL has been made by Redditch Nightstop for kind-hearted people to become one of its hosts and provide emergency accommodation for the town’s homeless youngsters.
The Covid pandemic has meant the charity was unable to recruit new hosts during that period, while several previous volunteers have left the area leaving them needing to find new people to help.
The organisation has been supporting young people aged 16 to 25 who are either homeless or at risk of becoming so for more than 25 years.
It typically helps to accommodate between 25 and 30 youngsters facing life on the streets every year, relying on the generous people of Redditch to open up their homes.
Hosts who have offered a room are matched with a young person who has been assessed by Redditch Nightstop.
The hosts then provide temporary accommodation as well as an evening meal, a private bedroom and access to bathing facilities.
The host’s expenses are covered, a fee is paid for supported lodgings and full training and support will be provided to volunteers.
Hosts typically provide accommodation for between two and five nights per month but there are no expectations and Nightstop can work around their availability.
Charity manager Susan Sadler said: “When a young person comes to Redditch Nightstop they have exhausted all other options and are afraid that they may be sleeping on the streets.
“People who act as hosts will be helping us to meet our vision of a society in which every young adult has a safe place to call home and is positively engaged within their local community.
“We rely on ordinary people doing something extraordinary and any support people could offer these young people would be extremely appreciated.”
People can contact Redditch Nightstop between 9am and 5pm every Monday to Friday for more information or to book an appointment with Susan.
Call 01527 66036, visit redditchnightstop.co.uk or email [email protected] for more information.
