This winter, there will be thousands of young people in the UK with no safe place to live or regular bed to sleep in. Tonight, in our towns and cities, young people experiencing homelessness are settling for a freezing bench or a damp doorway as their bed.

Depaul UK’s emergency accommodation service, Nightstop, provides a safe place to sleep and a warm welcome for a young person in crisis, a hot meal and access to washing facilities too.

Our national network of trained and vetted volunteers are ordinary members of the public who offer their spare room to a young person to keep them safe from the risks of sleeping on the streets.  This extraordinary act of kindness represents a crucial turning point for a young person. Once safe from harm, they can receive help from our staff to find longer-term accommodation, and support to find stability in their lives. Our aim is to ensure young people leave homelessness behind for good.

It’s a truly special combination – the kindness of strangers and the skills of our staff for as long as young people need.

Young people, like Jamie, with no safe place to sleep this winter urgently need your help

“I went to the council for help, but I didn’t fit any criteria for housing. All I had was a backpack and a sleeping bag. It started to rain, and I was soaked all the way through. You think you’ve hit rock bottom and then you find rock bottom has a basement. You just want to give up at that point. I ended up walking around all night. “But the next day I found out about Depaul UK and went to their drop-in centre in Middlesbrough. They found me a Nightstop host and paid for my train fare to get there.

“I felt overwhelmed. The whole thing was quite daunting. But I really didn’t need to worry. Nightstop hosts are some of the kindest people out there. I was welcomed in and shown my room. They cooked me a hot meal and I had my first proper night’s sleep in ages.”

“Thanks to Nightstop, and the work I’m doing on myself, I’m in a much better place than I was, and hope to be able to help others soon. I’d tell anyone going through a tough time like I did to keep going. Two months ago, I was jobless and homeless and now I’ve got somewhere to live and I’m working. Because there are people, people you’ve not even met yet, who really care.

“I’m excited for the future, I’ve got the potential to work abroad, or in the UK as security personnel, and the possibilities are endless. I’ve always liked security work, looking out for people is in my nature, especially because I’ve been in some terrible situations myself. If it wasn’t for people helping me, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Keeping young people safe is an extraordinary act of kindness 

Our work is rooted in the spirituality and example of St Vincent de Paul, a Catholic social reformer in the 17th century. He noticed the efforts of ordinary people and their acts of kindness and generosity towards the poor and dedicated his life to serving them by leveraging the human goodness he saw. Today, his legacy lives on through our Nightstop hosts, volunteers and donors who offer their kindness and generosity to young people facing homelessness.  Will you give the gift of a safe night’s sleep this winter?

Kindness costs nothing but providing a safe and effective service does have a price tag 

We have volunteers ready to welcome young people into their homes. But the costs of food, fuel, clothing, training, and vetting volunteers, and providing ongoing support from teams of staff, do come at a price. This is why we urgently need donation if we are to transform young lives this winter.

Just £54 could provide a young person with a safe night’s sleep in the home of a Nightstop host. This includes a hot meal, laundry facilities, a shower, travel expenses, a pack of toiletries and a pair of pyjamas.

Your donation today will help us to continue this vital work, providing a safe place and hope for young people like Jamie this winter.

Thank you.