New Wolverhampton homeless centre given go-ahead
Plans have been approved for a new centre for the homeless in Wolverhampton.
The Good Shepherd Resource Centre will move to a new site in Waterloo Road where it will offer up to 30 overnight shelter spaces for rough sleepers.
The move spells the start of a new partnership with Enterprise Homes Group – which includes the Wolverhampton Church Shelter.
It will also see the Good Shepherd’s daily food service for the homeless, previously based at Darlington Street Methodist Church, run from the new base in the city centre.
“We are pleased that our application to move premises has been approved by Wolverhampton Council, and can now proceed with the necessary work required to complete the move,” said Tom Hayden, operations manager at the Good Shepherd.
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“We remain hugely grateful to Darlington Street Methodist Church, where we have been based since 2003, but unfortunately we have now outgrown that premises in terms of the services that we need to supply.
"The new resource centre will allow us to provide so much more support as we address poverty and homelessness, including not just the much-needed food service but also clinical and counselling space to provide health and wellbeing advice, and training to help people into employment.
“The new link-up with Enterprise Homes offering overnight shelter ties in with our joint vision of becoming a ‘one-stop shop’ to support people from homelessness into temporary accommodation whilst meeting their health needs and providing opportunities for them to gain the skills and knowledge needed to become self-reliant.
Poverty
“We have been really keen to speak to all the relevant stakeholders during the consultation process, including the police, the council, nearby residents and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, and remain committed to working with everyone within the city to create sustainable pathways out of poverty and homelessness.”
Enterprise Homes are bringing together five streams of complementary activity to develop a ‘unified pathway’ out of homelessness.
The Church Shelter is a primary point of access to this pathway for rough sleepers and this new partnership will be a key part of helping to provide the seamless support that is vital in helping people navigate their way out of homelessness.
“We are delighted to be working even more closely with the Good Shepherd,” commented Matt Lambert, chief executive of Enterprise Homes said: “Being able to provide structured, compassionate support around the clock from one location is key.”
“The whole culture of the Shelter is built on a family approach of looking after our guests which over time helps to build trust.
“The Good Shepherd team then provide a seamless continuation of the same approach with their daytime work.”
With the application approved, the Good Shepherd can now press ahead with various internal works on the property, with the aim of potentially completing the move in premises by the end of the year.
