to offer emergency overnight accommodation in the homes of approved volunteers to homeless people aged 16-25 for a few nights at a time until more permanent and appropriate accommodation can be found.

Nightstop volunteers are ordinary people who are willing to open the door of their home to help young people in need, or who offer their time to help Nightstop in other ways. All volunteers have to undertake specific training before commencing their volunteering with Nightstop.

About half the young people who are referred to Nightstop are under 18. A young person would usually stay with a host for 1 to 3 nights at a time. Should the young person still be in need of emergency accommodation then it would be normal for them to stay with another volunteer from the same scheme. Nightstop schemes may also offer other services such as tenancy support, mediation, and housing advice.

The first Nightstop scheme was established in Leeds in 1987, and there are currently 50 schemes around the UK, with more in development. Nightstop UK was formed in 1999 from an informal network of existing schemes to lay down clear guidelines for the setting up and running of Nightstop schemes, to support and advise Nightstop schemes, and to facilitate the development of new Nightstops.