Harrogate Homeless Project to offer new' safe space' as numbers seeking help continue to grow during Covid

Harrogate's care heroes get a festive treat with help of local businesses

The Wesley Centre will be leasing the Lower Hall of its premises to the Harrogate Homeless Project so that the charity can safely provide care for all its clients at a social distance. Under the coronavirus rules, the Project’s ‘Springboard’ services next door to Wesley Centre are being severely limited.

The funding will allow new toilets to be installed in the Chapel so that all the Centre’s lower ground floor activities can move upstairs.

The Lower Hall kitchen is also being refurbished in preparation for the provision of meals to people who are homeless or vulnerable in Harrogate.

Liz Hancock, chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project said: “Our day centre premises at Springboard had become difficult to run – the numbers attending were growing and the space was not sufficient to provide the care and activities we wanted to.

"Now Covid19 restrictions have made things even more problematic. The Lower Hall at Wesley Centre will be ideal for us and matches and surpasses everything we were looking for.

"We are busy planning and implementing our move for early next year.”

Pippa French, manager of Wesley Centre said: “Covid-19 meant the closure of our building and many of our usual groups haven’t yet returned.

"Meanwhile, the Harrogate Homeless Project next door were unable to maintain their services at a safe distance because they didn’t have the space, so it made sense to provide them with it.

“Wesley Chapel was responsible for the founding of the Project nearly 30 years ago, so it’s fantastic that it can step in once again when there is a need.

"Thanks to the Lottery funding, we are going to be able to create two separate spaces so that we can continue to be a community hub, a performance space and a place of worship in the centre of town.

"Wesley Centre activities will continue in the Chapel space which will be available for hire in early 2021.”

Covid tiers future: Harrogate sees rise in latest estimated Covid figures

Harrogate's care heroes get a festive treat with help of local businesses

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.