The Boldmere Night Shelter was a much appreciated parish outreach and service project which ran from 2016 - 2018. Thank you to Mary James and all the volunteers who so generously supported the work and our guests.
The Shelter operated under the auspices of Birmingham Churches Winter Night Shelter scheme, and its organisers have decided that they can no longer coordinate and manage the scheme.
Their statement follows.
Birmingham Churches Winter Night Shelter has run for the last 7 years, during which time it has grown substantially from 5 host venues over 6 weeks to 18 host venues over 14 weeks across the city.
This has meant that the shelter has become increasingly complex to coordinate and manage, and after much consideration we realise it has now grown beyond the scope and capacity of Thrive Together Birmingham to coordinate, and an alternative structure needs to be explored.
Having consulted with key strategic partners, we have made the very difficult decision not to run the shelter this year. We have met with churches and partners and agreed that we will instead use this time to explore another structure or organisation to take the shelter forward in the hope it will be a stronger and more sustainable project in the future.
Thrive Together Birmingham remains committed to the project and to working with churches and partners to find a way forward. A working group of churches and partners is being established to explore what might be possible in the future and how it might be sustained; any funding raised by Thrive for this project will remain ring fenced and support future developments of the shelter.
In the meantime there are a number of events being developed for the new year to help equip people to better understand homelessness, these will be led by some of the partner organisations involved the shelter. We are also encouraging churches and individuals to support some of these partner organisations, in particular Birmingham City Mission, Reach Out Network, SIFA Fireside and Tabor House, in their ongoing work supporting people who are experiencing homelessness.
Without and our other collaborators working ‘in the background’, Boldmere Night Shelter has no guests ‘provided’ for our care, and we do not have the skills and resources to safely offer an independent operation.
While we wait to see what other local initiative we might make in the future, you might like to offer help and support to other charities working to support the homeless.
These include
Tabor House – Birmingham’s only permanent night shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham – a project of Fr Hudson’s Care
SIFA Fireside – the main access point to support and services for vulnerably housed and homeless adults in Birmingham. Visitors to the Drop In are able to access food, showers and clothing as well as a range of support services dealing with physical and mental health and different aspects of everyday well-being.
Reachout Network Ministries provide outreach on the streets as well as running a centre for change, supporting rough sleepers and those who have been homeless.
St Chad’s Sanctuary which offers welcome and support for asylum seekers and refugees.
Birmingham City Mission which offers food, friendship and support to some of our city's most vulnerable and marginalised people.
The Shelter operated under the auspices of Birmingham Churches Winter Night Shelter scheme, and its organisers have decided that they can no longer coordinate and manage the scheme.
Their statement follows.
Birmingham Churches Winter Night Shelter has run for the last 7 years, during which time it has grown substantially from 5 host venues over 6 weeks to 18 host venues over 14 weeks across the city.
This has meant that the shelter has become increasingly complex to coordinate and manage, and after much consideration we realise it has now grown beyond the scope and capacity of Thrive Together Birmingham to coordinate, and an alternative structure needs to be explored.
Having consulted with key strategic partners, we have made the very difficult decision not to run the shelter this year. We have met with churches and partners and agreed that we will instead use this time to explore another structure or organisation to take the shelter forward in the hope it will be a stronger and more sustainable project in the future.
Thrive Together Birmingham remains committed to the project and to working with churches and partners to find a way forward. A working group of churches and partners is being established to explore what might be possible in the future and how it might be sustained; any funding raised by Thrive for this project will remain ring fenced and support future developments of the shelter.
In the meantime there are a number of events being developed for the new year to help equip people to better understand homelessness, these will be led by some of the partner organisations involved the shelter. We are also encouraging churches and individuals to support some of these partner organisations, in particular Birmingham City Mission, Reach Out Network, SIFA Fireside and Tabor House, in their ongoing work supporting people who are experiencing homelessness.
Without and our other collaborators working ‘in the background’, Boldmere Night Shelter has no guests ‘provided’ for our care, and we do not have the skills and resources to safely offer an independent operation.
While we wait to see what other local initiative we might make in the future, you might like to offer help and support to other charities working to support the homeless.
These include
Tabor House – Birmingham’s only permanent night shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham – a project of Fr Hudson’s Care
SIFA Fireside – the main access point to support and services for vulnerably housed and homeless adults in Birmingham. Visitors to the Drop In are able to access food, showers and clothing as well as a range of support services dealing with physical and mental health and different aspects of everyday well-being.
Reachout Network Ministries provide outreach on the streets as well as running a centre for change, supporting rough sleepers and those who have been homeless.
St Chad’s Sanctuary which offers welcome and support for asylum seekers and refugees.
Birmingham City Mission which offers food, friendship and support to some of our city's most vulnerable and marginalised people.
