4 minute read
Sussex Nightstop
Alison Marino is executive director of Brighton-based charity Sussex Nightstop, which co-ordinates volunteer hosts who provide a safe place to stay for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
Sussex Nightstop creates and coordinates a community of volunteers who provide access to a safe, non-judgemental, inclusive place to stay for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Its vision is a society where everyone has access to a secure and sustainable home and the opportunity to sleep safe every night.
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Who does Sussex Nightstop help?
Sussex Nightstop provides a safety-net for young people and adults aged 16 upwards in the Brighton & Hove area who may otherwise be forced to sleep rough, with all the risks that go with that, including the very real threat to physical and mental wellbeing.
Somewhere safe to sleep is essential. Feeling warm and secure, having a hot meal and being treated with dignity provides people with the rest, energy and confidence with which to access the resources and support necessary to find a safe, longer-term home. Our volunteer hosts provide that. By opening up their spare room for short stays, people can sleep well, share a family meal, access crucial amenities, including somewhere private to wash and, above all, experience kindness in an otherwise bleak situation.
The majority of Nightstop guests have either suffered a family or relationship breakdown or breakdown of their tenancy, often brought about by a number of combining pressures, such as financial strain, the challenge of living with poor mental health and a local private rental market increasingly beyond affordability. We also know that some people are more vulnerable than others; worryingly 24% of young homeless people identify as LGBTQ+ with 77% believing that coming out to their parents was the main factor.
At Nightstop we also know that guests are individuals – both interesting and interested in life, often working or studying, who have aspirations and plans and who just need a secure place from which to navigate this difficult time in their life.
What difference has Covid-19 made?
Covid-19 has brought even more anxiety for those facing or experiencing homelessness. Many families and individuals have faced challenging lockdown circumstances and the end of the furlough scheme and the prospect of a recession on the horizon will only precipitate the issues that place people at risk of homelessness.
Never has a community response been so needed and ensuring we have a pool of volunteer hosts ready and waiting is a top priority. That is why we are currently looking for new host households. If you think you could help someone experiencing homelessness through short stays (roughly four to seven nights) then we’d love to hear from you.
David & Mark
David and his partner, Mark, have been hosting with Sussex Nightstop since 2014. David says:
“Me and my husband had been looking for a volunteering opportunity for some time when we came across Sussex Nightstop. Our first thought was that it was a brilliant idea, but also a little bit scary. Some of the most rewarding things in life are though, so we decided to give it a shot.
“Hosting the 40 or so young people we have taken in so far has been the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done, and has actually brought us together as a couple. I’ve often been proud of my husband as I’ve watched him listening to a young person’s story, and just being the supportive and caring guy that he is.
“At the start of our journey with Nightstop we wondered how young people would react to being placed with a gay couple, but we quickly learned this wasn’t an issue at all. Young people today just don’t care so much about those things; we’ve just been seen as any other family they may have stayed with, and they’ve all been just as accepting of us as we are of them. And when we’ve had gay or trans young people to stay, it’s taken on an even greater meaning for us, as we’ve been able to do something meaningful for our own community.
“None of this would be possible without the confidence gained through the training Nightstop provides, as well as the support provided when hosting. Advice is always just a phone call away, so you never feel you’re on your own.
“I’d really encourage anyone with the time and space to get involved with Nightstop hosting to give it a go. It really is the most wonderful feeling knowing a young person is safe, wellfed and refreshed because of you and that you’re a part of them finding somewhere to call home. Plus, you get to meet some nice, smart, funny, interesting people along the way.”
Get involved
We’re inviting ALL members of our caring and diverse community – all genders, faiths, ethnicities and sexual identities – with a spare room to join our community response to homelessness.
If you think the rewarding role of volunteer host is for you then get in touch: www.sussexnightstop.org.uk/contact-us/
Full training, support (including 24-hour oncall service) and nightly hosting expenses are made available to all of our host volunteers.
