Cold Weather Shelter 2022
Cold Weather Shelter Update – September 2022
As you know, CARIS Islington took the decision to pause the Cold Weather Shelter service during the height of the COVID pandemic. During the summer of 2022 the CARIS Trustees reviewed the viability of restarting the service and continuing to run it in the future and it is with sadness that CARIS has to announce that it will no longer be coordinating the CARIS Cold Weather Shelter in the future.
As part of the review a number of entities that were historically involved in the CWS service were consulted, along with the council and other homeless organisations and the Trustees came to the following conclusions:
1. CARIS is unable to commit the resources required to invest in and run the shelter in a safe way that meets post-COVID best practice.
2. We run two separate services which are operationally distinct (bereavement counselling all year-round and coordination of the cold weather shelter in winter months) and we judge that investing in the shelter will reduce our ability to run the other service to the standard the community of Islington requires. The Bereavement service has been running throughout the pandemic period and has had real, positive impact on the community that we need to maintain.
3. The Bereavement Service is a unique offering from CARIS whereas our contribution to the shelter is more of a coordination role that could be performed by another organisation.
This was not an easy decision for the Trustees to come to and it was not taken lightly. CARIS and its partners have a long and proud history of working with the homeless community in Islington and this is not to say that CARIS will not play a different role in the future however we know that our partners need certainty and clarity in order to plan for the future.
On behalf of CARIS Islington the Trustees would like to thank our partner churches
St Peter De Beauvoir
St Gabriel's Archway
Union Chapel Highbury Corner
St Andrew's Whitehall Park
Christchurch Highbury
St Luke's Penn Road
St Augustine's at Highbury New Park
On behalf of CARIS Islington the Trustees would like to thank our employees and the many volunteers for all the work put into the CWS service with CARIS over the years. We know that some night shelter volunteers will be keen to explore how you may be able to continue to assist the homeless community in Islington and we would encourage you to engage with Islington Council in how you might do this.
Please direct any questions or feedback to admin@carisislington.org
If you are homeless and require support
There are a range of local services available to support individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness. In the first instance please contact the Islington Council Advice Service. The council manages referrals to homeless shelters in Islington and will assess your requirements to build a solution that meets your needs.
Phone: 020 7527 6371
Email: advice.housing@islington.gov.uk
Islington Website: Islington Housing
Homeless in England Website: Homeless in England
