HOMELESS Shelter Christmas Care is set to return for another year to provide some of the town’s most vulnerable people with somewhere warm to spend the festive season.

Now in its 26th year, the shelter will run from Christmas Eve to December 28 at Queen’s Drive Methodist Church – supporting the homeless, lonely and people on low incomes.

Charity chairman Patsy Moloney said: “We’re open on the four most important days of the year. The people who come here – they are sons, daughters, they could be anybody you know because it doesn’t take much to find yourself homeless.

“Some of the people who come here tell me it’s just a matter of maybe parents splitting up or being thrown out of the family home or even falling behind on rent. Any of those things could mean you end up on the streets.

“We ensure even the poorest and most vulnerable people have somewhere warm to sleep and something hot to eat and drink.”

While the shelter is open guests will also be able to have a haircut courtesy of hairdressing students from New College, they will be able to see a chiropodist and have their feet tended to and there will also be visits from two paramedics.

Patsy said: “People come from Bath, Bristol, all over to the shelter and they genuinely say that the way they are treated here and the way they are looked after is like coming to a five-star hotel for them.

“While they are here there is always a hot meal and a hot drink for them and they can have their pick of the bedding and clothing people generously donate.

“Each year it has been getting tougher because we have been having tough times, but I know the people of Swindon will always come through and donate very generously to Christmas Care.”

But to run the shelter, Patsy needs to enlist the help volunteers to help the shelter run smoothly and take care of the visiting guests.

Seven new volunteers are needed for each shift including a shift leader. Shifts are for four hours.

There will be two volunteer meetings held at Queen’s Drive Methodist Church on November 19 and 25 at 8pm.

For insurance reasons no guests or volunteers under 16 are allowed. To find out more about volunteering this year, call 01793 336420.

For more information contact Patsy on 01793 642368 or visit www.christmascare.co.uk How you can help out The charity needs a number of items to ensure the shelter has enough to offer and provide to the homeless while the shelter operates.

They include:

  • food
  • sleeping bags
  • bedding
  • towels
  • toiletries
  •  clothing
  • footwear
  • donations to cover expenses (cheques payable to Christmas Care, a receipt will be given for all cash donations)

People wanting to donate goods can do so at the Queen’s Drive Methodist Church on the following days:

  • December 6, 10am – 3pm
  • December 12, 7pm – 9.30pm
  • l Decemeber 13, 10am – 3pm
  • December 18, 10am – 2pm
  • December 20, 10am – 3pm
  • December 21, noon – 2pm l December 23, all day.

The Pilgrim Centre, in Regent Circus, will be accepting donations from 10am until 2pm from December 9.