Commonweal Donation Helps Keep London Winter Night Shelter Open

Commonweal has awarded the charity Housing Justice a donation of £1,500 to help keep a vital winter night shelter in Hillingdon open.

The donation, which was matched by Housing Justice, was given in recognition of the help the shelter provided in enabling Commonweal to road test our prototype pods. The Pods provide a deliverable model for reusable, short term accommodation that could be deployed within existing empty and underused buildings

The funding will be used to provide vital cover for the costs of the night staff at the shelter. Following an agreement with Hillingdon council, the shelter will now stay open beyond the proposed close date of the 3rd March to the 31st March.

Commenting on Commonweal’s donation, Commonweal’s Chief Executive, Ashley Horsey said,

‘As a gesture of thanks to Housing Justice for providing us with the space to build the prototype pods, we are delighted to have been able to make this donation. Keeping the shelter open will ensure vital support is delivered to those in need. It will also maximise the use of the Commonweal pods enabling more guests, volunteers and others to provide the helpful feedback as we look to improve and learn lessons for the prototype’

Expressing his thanks to Commonweal Jacob Quagliozzi, Director, England, Housing Justice said:

“Housing Justice are grateful to Commonweal Housing for their generous donation towards the extended run of the winter night shelter project in Hillingdon. This funding allows us to continue to keep the shelter project open through March, including through some of the extreme weather during this period. The funding also allows us to continue to work to secure move on for guests in the project to ensure that their stay in the shelter project is the beginning of a journey out of their period of homelessness and in to a more settled housing situation. Thank you to all of the team at Commonweal for their support for the Hillingdon Night Shelter project in 2018.”