Launch of Depaul Nightstop UK
Depaul Nightstop UK provides support to over 50 Nightstop schemes across the UK and assists local communities in the development of new Nightstop schemes. The Nightstop programmes provide safe emergency accommodation for homeless young people aged 16 to 25, in the homes of approved volunteers, on a temporary basis until a more appropriate longer term solution to their housing problems can be found.
The merge will mean that Depaul Trust, already a national charity, will have a presence in every region of the UK including Scotland and Wales and will be the largest charity in the UK working with young homeless people. The Nightstop schemes provide an essential resource so that young homeless people are not placed in temporary B&B accommodation – a recommendation by the Government to be achieved by 2010. Depaul Trust has also helped advance government strategy on youth homelessness by providing a safety net through its network of supported accommodation, by preventing homelessness through its family mediation services and by tackling worklessness through its learning and development programmes.
The merger has taken place to facilitate the growing number of Nightstop schemes. It was deemed necessary to find another organisation with similar values and purpose that would help to nurture and grow the provision of this much needed service. As a national charity, Depaul Trust is in a position to offer that stability and potential for growth for this network.
Sue Trenerry, Manager of Depaul Nightstop UK said, “We are very impressed with Depaul Trust. They are as passionate as we are about tackling youth homelessness. Being part of a larger organisation will help us to be more efficient and more effective. At our recent AGM the Nightstop schemes throughout the UK voted unanimously in favour of this merger. They know that, through the strength of our joint resources, we can make sure that the voice of young people is better heard and their needs better understood.”
