A warm welcome at the Molesey Churches Night Shelter

Walton Charity believes that everyone should have a safe, comfortable place to live, and we work with local partners to help achieve this. A community grant of £15,000 to the Molesey Churches Night Shelter helped to fund emergency accommodation for homeless people in Elmbridge over the winter months.    

The shelter, at St Peters Church Youth and Community Hub in West Molesey, opened at the beginning of December 2022 and stayed open every night until the end of March 2023. As well as a warm place to sleep, it offered a first step to finding permanent housing solutions for the 15 guests who attended over the four-month period.  

Supported by the night shelter manager, Amy Burton, Rentstart’s Bridge the Gap initiative and a team of volunteers, night shelter guests could start to rebuild their lives and begin the process of moving into permanent accommodation.   

“The night shelter saved my life. I've been on the streets for 30+ years and if it wasn't for one of the staff members there, continually supporting me, I would still be on the streets. She never gave up on me and showed me how important it was for my health to give up street life and take up a permanent home. She continues to support me as my Bridge the Gap worker. She is my guardian angel".”

Dave, night shelter guest

* Bridge the Gap is a pilot programme in partnership with Surrey County Council supporting adults experiencing multiple disadvantages, including homelessness, substance use, domestic abuse, mental health issues and contact with the criminal justice system.