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Guests say thank you, Run Hackney and more...
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Dear <<First Name>>

91 homeless people sheltered over winter - thanks for your support!

Thanks to support from people like you, between November 2015 and March 2016 we were able to help 91 people who would otherwise have been out on the streets in the cold. Over 185 nights we cooked 185 dinners, desserts and breakfasts - and made more than 3,500 beds!

The shelter is now closed for the season and will reopen in November 2016. Our guests all wanted to make sure we said a big thank you to volunteers for all their hard work over the season. So, THANK YOU!
 
Now that the season is over we're turning our attention to fundraising to make sure we have the money to continue to offer a route out of homelessness for those in need in Hackney for next season and beyond.

On Sunday we have a team of runners taking part in the Run Hackney half marathon, read more about this below. We're always looking for people to help with fundraising, man festival and market stalls and help spread the word about the shelter throughout summer. If you'd like to volunteer out of season, please email volunteer@hwns.org.uk
 
If you'd like to volunteer at the shelter from September please sign up via our volunteer page. There are also plenty of other ways you can help us raise vital funds. Find out about how you can help in our Fundraising Guide.
 
With best wishes

Jess Smith, Trustee
Hackney Winter Night Shelter
Guests say 'Thank you' as the shelter closes for the season



"It's been brilliant, it's the first time ever I have ever enjoyed a place like this. I have felt very comfortable. I didn't know a place like this would exist, that's the truth. I thought this is the act of God." said Ben, 63.

Ben (pictured above) is disabled and became homeless after living in a council house for 13 years. Other guest comments include Paul, 36:

"Thanks to everyone who supports the shelter. It's been a lifesaver. I'm really grateful that I can keep my vegetarian lifestyle too, I have been vegetarian for 7-8 years but when I first came to London sometimes I had to eat meat when I had no choice. Here I can eat vegetarian food and there is fruit to keep healthy.

"The buildings are nice, the atmosphere is nice. This is the first time I have been homeless, my landlord evicted me. I went to the council to ask for help but they couldn't do anything. I was so surprised, it was really hard to understand. Now I have to talk to other services, ask charities for help topping up my oyster to get to interviews and appointments, find a place to live, get a job, all at once, it's hard."

Volunteers get set for Run Hackney

On Sunday 8 May, Hackney Winter Night Shelter is again fielding a team of runners in the Run Hackney half marathon and we'd love your support.

They'll be taking to the streets to raise money for homeless people in Hackney - running the 13.1 miles around Hackney's landmarks alongside about 13,000 runners in one of the UK's top ten half marathons.

This will be the third year Hackney Winter Night Shelter has participated in the half marathon, which has become an important event in our fundraising calendar.

If you're signed up to run and would like to raise funds for us, please sign up to the event via MyDonate and use the team registration number: 045089821

Please show your support for the team: donate now or join the fun on Hackney's streets on Sunday to cheer our runners on.

You can see a map of the route and find out more at http://runhackney.com

Meal of the Month!

A big thanks to long-time volunteer Elaine for cooking a tasty homemade lasagne with fresh salad in the last week of the shelter. We are also very thankful to the kind volunteer who bought piles of chocolate cake for desert. It was one guest's birthday and we were able to sing happy birthday to him just before he left the shelter.

He said: "Location isn't important, it's all about the volunteers, the atmosphere here. It's welcoming and simple, if that makes sense. It's a difficult question why I'm here. This situation isn't rare, it's a bad temporary situation. No one is a criminal here. People are looking for jobs, there are many problems and London is very difficult to live in. Without the shelter it would be impossible to improve my life. Here there is support. Sometime you can get stuck thinking about trivialities but you can start to think more positively here, I try to think about the whole picture."
As a small local charity we rely on voluntary support. If you'd like to help buy food, pay for heating, bedding and more that would be fantastic. Even a small amount goes a long way. Make a one-off donation or set up a regular gift.
Hackney Winter Night Shelter is a Hackney Doorways project.
Registered Charity number 1139183






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Hackney Winter Night Shelter · Unit 12-13 Springfield House · 5 Tyssen Street · London, Hackney E8 2LY · United Kingdom

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