8th February 2023

This week is the final week of Tyndale’s involvement in the Bristol Churches Shelter; I have just said my farewells to guests and staff for another year. The shelter continues until the end of March with other churches taking the lead each day.

We have seen guests coming off the street exhausted, but gaining strength and regaining confidence in the security the shelter provides. The paid staff put a lot of time into helping guests move on to find somewhere more permanent to live, meeting with them regularly to look through private rental property options and assist with booking viewings. Today one of the guests was offered a place in supported housing accommodation run by a local church. He is so thankful and relieved that he has somewhere to go where he will be safe.

Similar help is given to help guests find work. Work is available but a phone interview is a real challenge if your English is limited. Getting to your new job is a challenge if you do not know the city well and need to travel each night to Severn Beach!

Looking ahead to future years, the shelter itself needs to find a permanent home.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the work of the shelter this year with time, prayers and money. Please keep it in your prayers as it completes its work for this winter and looks ahead to 2024.

Nick Parsons