The Winchester Beacon is the working name of the long-established charity, Winchester Churches Nightshelter (WCNS). WCNS was founded in 1988 to provide emergency shelter to people experiencing homelessness during winter months.
Over the last 36 years, our charity has evolved to become more than a Nightshelter which is part of the reason for the change of name. The Winchester Beacon is located on Jewry Street and offers ten single bedrooms and wrap around support to people experiencing homelessness.
We open all day and all night, 365 days of the year. We accommodate, on average, approximately 50 people annually and provide ongoing support to many more. As well as our bedrooms on site at The Winchester Beacon on Jewry Street, we accommodate an additional twelve people at our three off site properties in the local area.
We come alongside our residents during their stay with us to help them plan a path forward and to find more permanent accommodation which matches their needs. There is no fixed timeline and residents can stay anything between a few weeks to a year or more, an average stay is 146 nights.
As well as accessing secure and comfortable accommodation and nutritious food, during their stay at The Winchester Beacon, residents also benefit from a wide-ranging programme of practical and emotional support to help them break the cycle of homelessness and rebuild their lives.
Our core services include one-to-one advocacy; help and support with housing; budgeting and finances; assistance with benefits; practical aid with food and nutrition; guidance for anyone with substance misuse problems; counselling and psychotherapy and a wide range of training and recreational activities.
Why is our service so vital?
Homelessness is on the increase across England. According to the latest official data, 358,370 households sought help from local authorities in 2023-24 after facing the threat of homelessness or losing their homes—an increase of over 10% in a year. Of these, 324,990 were formally assessed as homeless.
Temporary accommodation numbers have reached record highs, with 117,450
households living in such arrangements as of March 31, 2024—the highest figure since records began in 1998 and a 12.3% rise compared to the previous year. Additionally, rough sleeping is on the rise: an estimated 3,898 people were found sleeping rough across England on a single night in autumn 2023, marking a 27% increase from 3,069 in 2022 and more than double the 1,768 recorded in 2010.
This issue is compounded by a shortage of affordable housing locally. The average waiting time for a one-bed council property in Winchester for someone who is not in priority need is over three years, with the average cost of a one-bed private rental in central Winchester £943 (according to ONS figures published in 2024).
Many of those who find themselves homeless are not only coping with a lack of housing but with a raft of other problems. There is no single reason why someone can end up without a home – personal circumstances and wider factors both play a role. The most common factors cited as contributing to homelessness are often complex and interlinked. They include relationship breakdown, mental and physical ill health, financial issues, unemployment and substance misuse. However individuals can arrive at the point of homelessness after a long chain of other life events.
Tackling homelessness effectively can only be achieved by partnership working and collaboration between charities and other organisations who can together address the wide-ranging and interlinked issues that relate to homelessness.
people experiencing homelessness have attempted suicide
people experiencing homelessness have a mental health problem
of ex-offenders who are homeless are re-convicted within 1 year
Our impact 2023-2024
- We accommodated 30 people at our main site on Jewry Street
- 23 people stayed at our move on houses
- 68% of our residents made positive moves to planned accommodation
- Residents stayed for an average of 146 nights
- We provided 356 hours of free counselling and psychotherapy