More services to tackle homelessness will be on offer over Christmas and throughout the winter to help ensure that no-one needs to sleep rough in Leicester.
Leicester City Council’s Dawn Centre, on Conduit Street, provides 45 temporary bedrooms all year round, and has worked with local partners to make an additional 45 emergency bed spaces available over the winter months.
The council also works with a range of charities and other organisations that provide other kinds of support for rough sleepers.
The Y Support project, based at the Dawn Centre, offers a day centre with advice and practical help for rough sleepers and those in emergency accommodation, including breakfasts from 8am and hot lunches every weekday.
As well as accommodation, the council and other local organisations offer a wide range of help and support all year round, and over the Christmas and New Year period.
Services on offer include breakfast provided by The Bridge charity from 6am until 8am every day except Sunday at its premises at 43 Melton Street. On Sundays, the charity offers food, drinks and a warm and friendly place to meet from 3pm to 5pm. It will also be open from 6.30pm until 8pm on Thursday 26 December and Thursday 2 January.
And on Christmas Day, The Bridge will also be offering Christmas dinner for people sleeping rough, sofa-surfing or in emergency accommodation at the Case restaurant on Hotel Street, from 12.30pm until 2pm.
Help the Homeless Leicester will also be providing a Christmas evening meal on Christmas Day (25 Dec) and New Year’s Day (1 Jan) as part of its regular weekly ‘One Love’ meals served on Leicester Market from 7pm.
St James the Greater Church provides an ‘Eat ‘n’ Meet’ event every Saturday from 11.15am to 12.45pm. The sessions, which offer hot lunch, hot and cold drinks snacks and activities.
Although normally only open to referred clients seeking help with drug or alcohol addiction, the council’s No5 Centre, on Hill Street, will operate flexible access arrangements over the Christmas and New Year period.
Details of these and other homeless services operating in Leicester during the Christmas and New Year period are available at www.leicester.gov.uk/homelessness
Leaflets are also available at key locations across the city.
The city council’s rough sleeping outreach team are out in the city on weekdays offering support to anyone found sleeping rough.
People can support the team by reporting anyone they see sleeping rough on StreetLink.
StreetLink is a mobile app, website and phone-line that helps people to alert councils to rough sleepers in their area and help ensure they get the support they need. You can make contact using the free mobile app, by visiting www.streelink.org.uk or by calling 0300 500 0914.
Anyone who is homeless, or worried about someone else who is, can also call Leicester City Council’s emergency homelessness line at any time on 0116 221 2770.
