Depaul UK, a youth homelessness charity, is celebrating National Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June 2022) by shining the spotlight on the vital work of Nightstop Volunteers.
Depaul UK is a homelessness charity specialising in support for young people, working to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.
This National Volunteers Week, the charity is recognising the vital work of Nightstop Volunteers who open their homes to young homeless people facing a night on the streets or sleeping in an unsafe place.
Last year, 400 people helped to change the lives of young people who had nowhere to stay by opening their homes to them.
Communities and charities run Nightstop services in more than 30 locations around the UK, led and supported by Depaul UK. In 2021, volunteers provided more than 6,000 safe nights of accommodation to people across the Nightstop network.
Nightstop MK started placing young people experiencing homelessness in the homes of volunteer hosts this spring. Carol, 66, and Jeff, 74, live just outside of Milton Keynes and have recently started volunteering with the service.
Carol said: “Our children have grown up and moved away. They were raised with lots of tender love and care. We are aware not all children have this kind of experience and it would be really nice for them to experience the kindness of strangers when in difficult circumstances.
“We’ve only had two people stay with us so far and both times have been a very positive experience. We were well supported by Nightstop and the young people were lovely. Very, very polite. Very charming. And we were very happy to help them, just a little bit, what little bit we could.”
Jeff added: “It’s been a positive experience and the more we do it the less anxiety we have. It all seems to be extremely well run and safe. The greatest reward is to hear that the young people have moved onto something positive.
After a serious breakdown in her relationship with her mum, Dominique*, 22, was unable to return home. Nightstop MK provided an alternative to sleeping rough and offered practical support that helped Dominique connect with other services. Dominique is now in more permanent accommodation and, with the continued help from Depaul, is actively looking for employment.
Dominique said: “Nightstop is doing something very giving. Without them, I wouldn’t have the help I needed. Everything they did was so helpful, particularly for people who are struggling with their mental health. It lifted a weight off my shoulders.”
Nicola Harwood, Director of Prevention and Programmes at Depaul UK said: “While the people that access Nightstop are the passion that drives our work, our volunteers are the life-blood which keeps our vital service running. Our volunteers may come from all backgrounds but they have one thing in common – they want to make sure no young person sleeps in an unsafe place ever again.
"National Volunteers’ Week is a great chance to showcase some of this amazing kindness and encourage more people to sign up. We support hosts and guests every step of the way which offers them great peace of mind. It’s such a fantastic initiative to be part of.”
If you would like to help young people to move on to safer, more stable accommodation please consider becoming a Nightstop volunteer. You can sign up for one night a month, for a week or even longer. The charity supports you every step of the way and makes sure all the relevant checks are in place, so everyone is safe.
To find out more about volunteering with Nightstop MK, visit www.depaul.org.uk/nightstop/nightstop-milton-keynes, follow @DepaulMiltonKeynes on Facebook, or call the team on 0330 555 0180.
*Young person’s name changed for privacy.
