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Ipswich
Winter Night Shelter |
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Welcome to the website for the Ipswich Winter
Night Shelter Project. |
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IWNS has opened !! No further donations now needed thank you No further volunteers needed at this time thank
you Guest
information leaflet available
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Isaiah 58v6 Remove the
chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.
Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.
Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help
your own relatives. Then my
favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly
healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you
on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will
respond. If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and
to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are
in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And
I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you
strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a
spring of water that never goes dry. Your people
will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old
foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who
restored the ruined houses.
*The Vision The vision is to
provide in Ipswich, from December 14th to February 17th, an overnight shelter
with hospitality, hosted each night by a town centre church, which will take
in twelve people who would otherwise have to sleep rough. The people will be
received as guests by one of the seven host churches. Each church will cover
a night of the week and will accommodate the guests with help from church
members along with volunteer members of our community. The project will give
opportunities for all members of our society to contribute; it is not limited
to Christians only. The guests will be able
to: clean and freshen up, enjoy a hot nourishing meal, spend an evening in a
warm and safe place, share time in friendly company, sleep in a clean and
comfortable bed and receive a breakfast in the morning before they depart for
the day. We will
work with the agencies already working in the town to encourage the guests to receive help and advice to
restore their lives, find long-term accommodation, regain self-esteem and
dignity, and return to society as an equal. But this will depend upon each of
the individuals helping us to help them. The overnight shelter will not be an
‘on call’ hostel but part of a programme of restoration to bring structure
back into chaotic lives. This is a pilot project
that will run for the two deep winter months. At the end of the period it will be evaluated and should provide useful learning for
us and other agencies working with the homeless. The project is based on an
already well established model developed by the Christian Charity “Housing Justice”. Projects have
been running in London for over 20 years, and are now in places like High
Wycombe, Canterbury, and Luton. The vision is being
brought to life by the inspiration of Louise Brown, Rev Canon Paul Daltry and
members of the organising committee for the project. But we hope that it is a
vision shared by us all and that this project gives us all an opportunity to
achieve that vision. We would like to give
thanks to all the agencies and volunteers who have
shown support of this pilot. What is involved? Seven town centre
churches have offered to be hosts, one for each night of the week.
Sunday Hope Church Monday Salvation Army Bramford Road Tuesday St Mary’s at Stoke Wednesday Ipswich International
Church Thursday Christ church and St Pancras Friday Burlington Baptist Saturday Holy Trinity Each
church will have a group of volunteers and helpers to receive the guests and
care for them. The helpers will not just be members of the host churches concerned
but will come from all walks of the community. An
early shift of helpers will set up the night shelter ready for the guests.
This will involve setting up the beds and preparing a place for the guests to
eat. A hot meal will be served and the guests eat with the helpers, like a
family meal. After the meal the helpers will clear away the dinner things
while the guests relax and enjoy the evening in company. Depending on the
facilities of each host church the guests can clean and freshen up. Then a
night shift of helpers take over from the early shift. These helpers stay
with the guests overnight. They are there for company, security and
assistance where needed. In the
morning an early shift will take over. They will serve a breakfast for the guests
and bid them farewell as they leave for the day. The early shift of helpers
will then clear away the beds and arrange for any washing of bedding for the
next night at the next church building.
*
How you can play a part
The
project needs many helpers to succeed. But it is also an opportunity for many
people to contribute in their own way however large or small. People
can contribute in a numbers of ways and as much as they wish. Helpers who attend
at the churches can help set up and clear down the beds, cook and serve the
evening meal and breakfast, clear up after meals, serve drinks, be overnight
guardians and also be company for the guests. Societies
are often judged by how they treat their poor, disadvantaged and
dispossessed. This project will allow those of us in the greater
non-political society to make for a better judgement. For Christians it is
clear what Jesus teaches us to do. Now
that the IWNS has opened the project has enough volunteers to run it for this
year, we do not need any more bodies to help at this time. But let us say
that we are immensely grateful to the overwhelming support and volunteer
numbers that has been forthcoming.
*
The Project Management Team
Louise
Brown - Project Leader (info@iwns.org.uk)
Paul R Daltry - Chair Graham
Miles – Supplies and Vice Chair Paul
Herbert - Guest Co-ordinator Richard
Whiteman - Treasurer Fiona
Abbott - Prayer Leader Zoë Dean - Administrative support Derrick
Bowman - Web site and communications *Host Church Co-ordinators
Hope Church, Fore
Hamlet IP3 8AF:
Hugh Gibson with Sue and Brian Ansty Salvation
Army Hall, Bramford Road IP1 2LW: Colin Smith St Mary at
Stoke, Stoke Street IP2 8DA: Pam
Geoghegan Ipswich
International Church (Elim), Barrack Corner IP1 2NB: Mark Briggs assisted by Glenda Briggs Christ
Church/St Pancras Church, Tacket Street IP4 1AU/Orwell Place IP4 1BD: Kate Helleur and Steven Marsh Burlington
Baptist Church, London Road IP1 2EZ:
Fiona Abbott assisted by Scott Huntly Holy
Trinity, Back Hamlet IP3 0DJ: Anne
Alcock assisted by Christine Senior * Contact the management team Email -: info@iwns.org.uk Email lists (This requires a co-ordinator login account,
click here
to request one) *News * The IWNS has opened: the IWNS opened for guests this Wednesday evening 14th. The Ipswich International Church hosted the guests for the first night. With the winter weather now setting in it is good to think that some people have been able to avoid sleeping rough and become part of a programme to help re-home them and assist them to improve their future. Donations drop off centre: we now have enough donated items for the project, thank you all for
your kindness and generosity, we have been so blessed. We do not need
anything else at this time, as a result the donations centre is now closed. * Volunteer numbers: we
have been almost overwhelmed by the sheer number of volunteers and offers of
help from the people of our town. It has been a wonderful experience to
witness such kindness and enthusiasm to contribute. We have enough people to
run the project now so are asking for no more volunteers at this time.
However we may be able to offer an opportunity for others to help in the new
year. Watch this space. Thanks to all who have volunteered or offered their
time. Bless you all. * Guest
information leaflet now available for all. *Publications Guest
information leaflet (.pdf) Volunteers
Handbook (.doc This requires a volunteer login account, click here to request one) Confidentiality
policy (.pdf This requires a volunteer login account, click here to request one) Police
protocol (.pdf This requires a volunteer login account, click here to request one) Safeguarding
Policy (.pdf This requires a volunteer login account, click here to request one)
To obtain
a secure login code contact Louise at info@iwns.org.uk |