From 21stDecember 2019 until 31stMarch 2020, the pastures shelter will be providing a hot meal, laundry services, showers, a warm sleeping space and games for those living on the street.
“In town centre, Northampton, people are dying on the street, so we decided we’re going to open our doors every winter for 100 nights”
The shelter is in the New Covenant church on Kettering road and is working with Shine development concept to provide a shelter for those sleeping rough. The shine development concept also runs a soup kitchen and a food bank all for those in need.
“When we started last year, the first few weeks were quiet, but then it started picking up and by the middle of January we didn’t have any spare beds.”
The hope centre, ambulance service and police are working with the pastures shelter by referring those sleeping rough to a place to spend the night.
Ayo Dgunbuyide, who runs the pastures shelter alongside his involvement with Shine Development concept says that “we have a long-term plan to be open all through the year.
“When it closes in March, hopefully the people who used the shelter will not go back on the streets. We’re hoping that the same set of people who come this year don’t return next year”
The pastures shelter has an outreach team that visit once a week to advise those using the shelter of how to move on.
The shelter began December of 2018 and Ayo hopes that “with more resources I should be able to take it on full time.”