This campaign has now closed
B+CARS (Bournemouth Christians Alongside Rough Sleepers) aims to work together across the Christian, voluntary and statutory community to “help people get off, & stay off, the street”. Sleep Safe provides emergency winter shelter to help those homeless who want to help themselves find accommdation
Categories
Situation
Homelessness is a problem in Bournemouth. It has the 7th highest level of rough sleepers in the UK outside of London, and the official numbers from the 2015 Street Count have tripled in 2 years, while the Council budget has reduced by 25%. Between 50 & 80 regularly attend “soup kitchens”. And the numbers keep growing. Warm weather and being a popular tourist destination attracts people from all over the UK. In addition numerous rehab facilities attract people who often find themselves homeless
Solution
The B+CARS community initiative brings local Church together to play its part in transforming that. One of the early initiatives has been to work with a local housing association (BCHA) to deliver the Sleep Safe project in the town. From December through to April, 7 churches have agreed to provide a night per week each where up to 12 rough sleepers who wanted to engage could find a safe warm space to sleep and from which they could get help to find accommodation and permanently off the street