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, between 60-80 people annually and provide ongoing support to many more. As well as our bedrooms on site at The Winchester Beacon, 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 111 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 figures from Crisis, it is estimated that 242,000 people were affected by core homelessness in 2022, up from 221,000 in 2021. Core homelessness includes people who are rough sleeping, sofa surfing, staying in hostels or refuges and those residing in buildings not intended for residential use.
The latest figures from the Government indicate that 112,660 households are living in temporary accommodation, National Statistics Statutory Homelessness Figures in England, October – December 2023.
The number of people seen sleeping rough in England grew in 2023 with 3,898 people recorded rough sleeping on a single night in autumn 2023, a rise of 27% on the same time the previous year.
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 four years and four months, with the average cost of a one-bed private rental in central Winchester almost £800 (as of 2019).
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 2022-2023
- We accommodated 49 people
- 76% of our residents moved on to planned accommodation
- Residents stayed for an average of 111 nights
- We provided 288 hours of free counselling and psychotherapy