SWINDON Night Shelter took on a new manager mid-pandemic who is looking forward to opening more services to help the homeless.

Ian McCarthy from North Swindon stepped into the top job while staff, volunteers and supporters made their services more flexible during the lockdowns by delivering donated fresh food to rough sleepers and allowing fewer guests into the day centre.

As restrictions ease, the 49-year-old hopes to help more people when its facilities can fully reopen.

He said: “This is an exciting time for me, staff and our volunteers as we look to offer more support to those who need us in Swindon.

"We are hoping to reconnect with guests who we’ve been unable to see during lockdown and also to support those who we have yet to meet or who are in housing difficulty now.

“We’ve already started classes in cookery, woodworking and gardening and we want to offer more of these activities this summer supporting more people. These activities also help with the maintenance of our buildings as well as offering skills to our guests.

"It’s amazing what comes from these classes when guests rediscover a former passion for cookery or they start to gain confidence from something as simple as gardening.

“We are busy rebuilding our acquaintance with other organisations and agencies who supported our guests before the pandemic.

"We are hoping to reopen our Friday Night Shelter at St Mary’s Church, probably in September. Once open, rough sleepers can come along for a bed for the night, have a hot meal and pick up some clothes in an atmosphere of respect.”

After a 30-year career working in the training division for NatWest, Ian took redundancy in search of a new challenge in early 2020. He volunteered for the Swindon Night Shelter while looking for his next role.

Ian added: “I started volunteering at the beginning of 2020 and really enjoyed the challenge of working with our guests, hearing their life stories and then being able to try and offer some practical support moving forward.

“Incredibly, part way through lockdown in 2020 an opportunity came about to become a full-time member of staff and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed it.

“I’m excited, optimistic and realistic about the difference we can make to those in Swindon who find themselves homeless or under threat of homelessness.”

Swindon Night Shelter runs The Haven Day Centre on Queen’s Drive, which is open daily for homeless and vulnerably housed.

They are also supported with job searches, benefit queries, access to other professional agencies as well as enjoying a hot meal and access to shower facilities and washer drier machines for their clothes.

The work of Swindon Night Shelter is reliant on raising funds from several sources including its charity shop ‘The Hub’ on Clive Parade along with a temporary pop-up shop run from Freshbrook Church.

For more information, visit www.swindonnightshelter.uk