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    10

    Dec 2020

    Last Updated: 10/12/2020
    Community
    Community

    Harrogate church opens doors to homeless people

    by Connor Creaghan

    | 10 Dec, 2020
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    With the numbers of homeless people growing and coronavirus restrictions making it more difficult for the Harrogate Homeless Project to run its existing space, it was time for a move.

    the-wesley-centre-harrogate
    The Wesley Centre in Harrogate. Photo: N Chadwick/Geograph

    A church in Harrogate is preparing to open its doors to homeless people, with its lower hall soon becoming a day service for the foreseeable future.

    The Wesley Centre will be the site for the Harrogate Homeless Project's (HHP) Springboard service, which is currently in the adjoining Wesley Chapel House in a much smaller room.

    It provides food, shower facilities, a laundry service and support for homeless people and is open from 10am to 2pm every week day

    With social distancing making it more difficult to use the current small space, HHP will take over the lower hall of the Wesley Centre.



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    To accommodate the move and keep the upper floor available for church services, the Wesley Centre will install new toilets and refurbish the kitchen.

    The National Lottery's Coronavirus Community Support will give the church £37,500 for those works.

    Pippa French, the manager at the Wesley Centre, said:

    "Coronavirus meant the closure of our building and many of our usual groups haven’t yet returned.
    "Meanwhile, the Harrogate Homeless Project next door were unable to maintain their services at a safe distance because they didn’t have the space.
    “Wesley Chapel was responsible for the founding of the Project nearly 30 years ago, so it’s fantastic that it can step in once again when there is a need.


    Wesley Centre events will continue in the Chapel space upstairs, which will be available for hire in early 2021.

    Liz Hancock, CEO, Harrogate Homeless Project said:

    “Our day centre premises at Springboard had become difficult to run.
    "The numbers attending were growing and the space was not sufficient to provide the care and activities we wanted to.
    "Now coronavirus restrictions have made things even more problematic.
    "The lower hall at Wesley Centre will be ideal for us and matches and surpasses everything we were looking for."


    HHP is now busy planning its move into the lower hall at the Wesley Centre and hopes that the project can move in early next year.