The Open Door night shelter on Bricket Road can accommodate 12 people year round with 12 ensuite bedrooms, but for the seventh winter running the charity will provide 4 extra beds throughout the coldest season. This year the charity will partner with St Albans Council to deliver the project.

The Winter Beds Project provides people who would otherwise be rough sleeping with self-contained sleeper cabins. Each cabin provides secure, accommodation with heating, electricity and en-suite facilities. Guests of the project are supported in finding secure accommodation to move on to by the rough sleeper outreach team. Last year the project ran from November through to the beginning of April and accommodated 21 people, 9 of whom moved on to long-term housing and 7 moved into temporary accommodation.

Peter Graham, Acting Chair of the Open Door Board of Trustees commented:

Rough sleeping at any time of year is not a choice but in the harsh weather over winter it is something to be avoided at all costs. In order to tackle this problem and using our wonderful volunteers, Open Door will once again be opening its Winter Beds Project, providing overnight accommodation and breakfast to those who otherwise would be sleeping rough, in the open and exposed to the elements. We can only do this with the financial support of the people of St Albans to whom I and the Trustees give our heartfelt thanks.

With your help, we can make the sleepout on Friday 8th November 2024 a huge success and make a real difference to vulnerable people across Hertfordshire this winter.

So come and join us for an evening of music, entertainment, workshops, and a bit of a reality check, to see what life is like for some of our service users. This will be the most memorable thing you will do this winter!

If you would like to take part in our Sleepout but would like to stay at home, then why not take part in our virtual Sleepout! All you need to do is pitch a tent in your garden, make a bed out of cardboard, or even build a den. It is completely up to you how you wish to sleepout and you can be as creative as you like, as long as you are away from the comforts of your own bed.

There is no cost to take part or a minimum fundraising target, we just ask you raise as much as you can. Fundraising contributions make a real difference to the lives of people in crisis who are either homeless or facing homelessness.

So what are you waiting for? Round up a group of friends, family or work colleagues and sign up today and raise money to support homeless people in St Albans!