Due to Coronavirus it is simply not practicable to house a large number of people overnight as we have been doing over the years.
We have however obtained funding to run a daytime “Hub” where we can welcome those who have been placed in emergency accommodation for the winter months.
These are the same individuals that we would have offered bed spaces to under normal circumstances. The HUB is not an open drop-in facility and is by referral from Reading Borough Council only. It is not set up as an alternative to existing drop-in services such as our good friends at CiRDiC provide.
Running on a skeleton team and limited numbers to reduce infection risks we are able to provide a warm safe environment for a few hours each day. Various activities are available as well a cooked midday meal. There is also space for one to one meetings with support staff from various local agencies.
Huge thanks got to the Assistant Director Amanda Bayley for making this option possible and to Mary Lewis for managing the HUB.
For January 2021 the HUB will be based in English Martyrs Church
If you have found this page in searching for what to do about someone you have found apparently homeless on the street please go to this website Homeless LInk
M Peirce – Director