News update (click 'read more') As some of you know, the West London Day Centre closed its drop-in service at Seymour Place, over the summer, for a complete refurbishment. In early Autumn they took a decision no longer to be the organisation which refers people to our Westminster Winter Shelter.
Since then, WLM has worked hard to meet with other organisations, and with the venue coordinators, and has been meeting with Westminster Council (who have special funding this year to help people with no recourse to public funds) and St Mungo’s Street Outreach Team (as well as talking with St Martins Connection and the Passage) to build a new network of partnerships.
The Shelter opened in December 2019 and will run until May 2020 with WLM, Westminster Council and St Mungo’s as partners. New agreements have been written, but much is as it was from the founding of the WNS – as there were such good, tried and tested foundations. Referrals now come direct from WCC through George Bossman, who is the lead for overseeing this with coordinators. Guests continue to be classified as ‘low need’ and WLM is providing overnight on-call support for venues from January. It is reassuring that the shelters can continue, importantly, with additional spaces. Along with the 15 guests in each venue a women-only shelter has been set up at WLM.
St James’s is hosting the shelter from February to May 2020 as the Mosque also hosts on a Tuesday night, and opened its doors in December and January. Debbie O’Brien is stepping down as Coordinator after 8 years. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts and wish her well with all that will come next for her. As far as the Shelter is concerned, a new team is in place to continue offering hospitality on Tuesday nights in the basement and church. There is a great team of volunteers, both from within the congregation and beyond, who are experienced, as well as new people joining.
Please pray for the team, Claire Wright, Jen Veall, Raks Patel and Paul Sylvester as they plan for February, and for all those who will come and share together around the table for meals and art.
If you would like to join in a group who pray alongside the shelter let one of the team know and they will put you in touch with Dianne Bateman who organises this; wintershelter@sjp.org.uk
3 John v 5 The Message: Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travellers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself!
3 John v 5,6 NRSV: Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; 6 they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God.
The Shelter opened in December 2019 and will run until May 2020 with WLM, Westminster Council and St Mungo’s as partners. New agreements have been written, but much is as it was from the founding of the WNS – as there were such good, tried and tested foundations. Referrals now come direct from WCC through George Bossman, who is the lead for overseeing this with coordinators. Guests continue to be classified as ‘low need’ and WLM is providing overnight on-call support for venues from January. It is reassuring that the shelters can continue, importantly, with additional spaces. Along with the 15 guests in each venue a women-only shelter has been set up at WLM.
St James’s is hosting the shelter from February to May 2020 as the Mosque also hosts on a Tuesday night, and opened its doors in December and January. Debbie O’Brien is stepping down as Coordinator after 8 years. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts and wish her well with all that will come next for her. As far as the Shelter is concerned, a new team is in place to continue offering hospitality on Tuesday nights in the basement and church. There is a great team of volunteers, both from within the congregation and beyond, who are experienced, as well as new people joining.
Please pray for the team, Claire Wright, Jen Veall, Raks Patel and Paul Sylvester as they plan for February, and for all those who will come and share together around the table for meals and art.
If you would like to join in a group who pray alongside the shelter let one of the team know and they will put you in touch with Dianne Bateman who organises this; wintershelter@sjp.org.uk
3 John v 5 The Message: Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travellers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself!
3 John v 5,6 NRSV: Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the friends, even though they are strangers to you; 6 they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God.
RSS Feed