A NEWPORT homeless shelter will now be supporting the community all year round.

Eden Gate, on Hill Street in the city centre, has been working alongside local churches since 2009 to offer a warm welcome and a safe place to spend the night during the cold winter months.

To date they estimate they have saved more than 10,300 nights which would otherwise have been spent sleeping rough.

Now, thanks to funding from the Welsh Assembly through Newport City Council, Eden Gate have been able to refurbish their premises and will now be on hand all year round. This is their Night Shelter Plus initiative.

Operations manager Marc Hepton said: “In June 2017, Newport City Council worked to identify gaps in services in the city. The need for night shelters was highlighted.

“Our vision for the night shelter plus is to provide 10 emergency bed spaces for those who are not in priority need.”

Nightshelter Plus is not a drop-in service, however. Those wishing to access the service must have been referred through one of Eden Gate’s partnering organisations.

Eden Gate chairman Harvey Philpott added: “Our slogan is ‘inviting people in, helping people out’. The aim of the existing winter night shelter has always been to meet the immediate needs of those who find themselves homeless.

“The space now benefits from a new kitchen. This will help us maintain safe methods of cooking and serving food to our guests. We also have toilets and shower facilities able to meet the needs of all our guests, including those with disabilities.”

This work has not just been made possible through funding grants however and Eden Gate are quick to give thanks for the support they have received.

Mr Philpott said: “Gwent Police and the Salvation Army are just two organisations who have supported us. Without the support of local churches, we would not be able to do what we do.”

Mr Hepton added: “We do realise that we can’t be solely reliant on churches, so we will be looking to the wider community to provide volunteers to run the shelter.”

For details on referral, please visit edengate.org.uk