It all started with a hot meal…
The Well came out of Open Kitchen. A group of volunteers came together once a week to cook a free hot meal for anyone who wanted it. As we got to know our guests we became aware that a handful of them were either sleeping on the streets, in someone’s shed or on a friend’s sofa.
This prompted us to open a winter night shelter in the old Baptist Church Sunday School rooms with the help of the churches in the area and Newark and Sherwood District Council.
1n 2020 the pandemic closed all one room temporary shelters, But we continued to offer a winter drop in. While the local authority housed people we cooked them hot meals, offered laundry services and helped them access help with wider problems.
As time moved on, we realised we wouldn’t be able to go back to 8 to 12 people sleeping in the same room and that this didn’t address the deeper problems of our guests. So we worked on the developing provision that will do more than offer a meal and a bed for the night:
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A drop in to provide hot food, a point of contact and help to access other services
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Emergency short term shelter for people who find themselves street homeless
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A Hope into Action house to empower people to learn to keep a tenancy
Winter drop in
We continue to offer hot meals, laundry and a point of contact to refer people onto other services. We are currently hosted by the community cafe on Balderton Gate and as the building is developed further we hope to offer showers again soon.
Emergency Accommodation
In severe weather the local council will accommodate rough sleepers, but we would like to be able to offer a basic bed all year round. We are hoping to provide nappads in Newark. We have the majority of the funds to buy and run them, we are currently looking for a site to place them in.
Hope into Action
We are part of the national Hope into Action charity. This offers rooms with support to help to maintain a tenancy. Working with our empowerment worker and fantastic team of friendship and support volunteers, tenants are coached in anything from budgeting to house maintenance.
When you see a tree, you know there’s root system beneath almost as big as the tree above. When you see a rough sleeper there will be a myriad of complex causes beneath the surface.
Our guests could be battling addictions,mental and physical illness, disabilities including learning difficulties, anxiety or even a lack of self-awareness regarding their own circumstances.
We seek to love and care for people as they are, while helping them move forward to something better. To do that we have to recognise our own limitations, which is why we happily refer people to other services and work with other organisations wherever possible.
The Well Homeless Support,Newark 