New night shelter has been a 'resounding success'

A night shelter opened to provide short-term accommodation for homeless people has been labelled a "resounding success".

Opened in Grantham, Lincolnshire, by South Kesteven District Council and Grantham Ark on 19 December, the venue has already helped nearly 20 people.

Rough sleepers were given space in the shelter during the recent activation of the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.

As of 14 January, permanent homes had been found for two of the residents, with three more set to move into settled accommodation.

The venue provides bathroom and kitchen facilities and basic food provision, with a volunteer support worker on site each evening and first thing in the morning.

The council has funded overnight security staff to ensure the safety of people staying there.

Grantham Ark was launched in 2020 by the vicar of St Wulfram's Church to support local people experiencing homelessness.

Virginia Moran, the council's cabinet member for housing, said: "It has been a resounding success and those we have helped really appreciated the opportunity to speak to support staff in a more informal setting.

"Depending on uptake, we will consider opening a further shelter in the south of the district in the future.

"Hotel accommodation is not always suitable, there are limited options to access food, and often the hotels the council can access are outside the main towns and difficult for people to travel to."

She added that the new shelter costs less than providing hotel rooms.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.