Vicki Mileson
The University will be providing accommodation to Nottingham’s homeless population by hosting a shelter on campus, in partnership with local charity, Emmanuel House. It will reduce the number of people sleeping rough over the coldest months of the year, operating until March 2022.
The accommodation will support up to 22 people per night in an unused campus building. Ashley Roberts, Head of Campus Services said that “by supporting this work, up to 22 people will be off the streets and in a warm and safe location each night.”
He added: “We’ve already been able to offer donations of clothes and other items and the charity is grateful to those who might also be able to offer their time to volunteer to support them. We’re delighted that our Asymptomatic Testing Service can also support their work and help keep everyone safe. It shows all aspects of the university coming together to make a really positive difference to people’s lives.”
Up to 22 people will be off the streets and in a warm and safe location each night
Muhammad Ali, Community Officer for the University’s Students’ Union told the BBC: “This is a fantastic initiative from the university, and really reaffirms their commitment to being a valued part of the local community. I’m really excited about the opportunity this gives to students to get involved in a great cause by helping some of the least fortunate members of our society.”
Emmanuel House has been working with the city’s homeless population since 2006 and during the Covid-19 pandemic they moved hundreds into hotels as part of the Government’s ‘Everyone In‘ initiative. The university will be offering the accommodation at a cost-neutral rate and will allow support work to continue during the day as residents are helped in finding work, permanent accommodation, and access to other services.
Denis Tully, CEO of Emmanuel House said: “The accommodation the University of Nottingham is able to provide enables us to build on the legacy of ‘Everybody In’ when we moved 179 people into accommodation solutions. I am very grateful to the University for all its support for this vital service as without its collaboration it is likely the service would not have happened this year. It’s an exciting time for the project.”
The shelter will be open 24-hours, and staff and students can get involved by volunteering between 8am and 10pm. More information on volunteering is available here. There are also job vacancies for Shelter Support Workers which can be accessed here.
Vicki Mileson
Featured image courtesy of @Emmanuelhousesupportcentre on Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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