Help needed

Published: 10:21 AM November 20, 2008 Updated: 3:52 AM February 23, 2021

SIR, — Homelessness remains an issue in St Albans. In the summer, St Albans District Council launched its Homelessness Strategy 2008-2013. This month, an exhibition in the library highlights the problems of homelessness and the work of some of the St Alba

SIR, - Homelessness remains an issue in St Albans. In the summer, St Albans District Council launched its Homelessness Strategy 2008-2013. This month, an exhibition in the library highlights the problems of homelessness and the work of some of the St Albans organisations seeking to help those who are homeless.

Centre 33, which was recently presented with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, is one of those organisations. We are a totally voluntary-run local charity that provides practical support for homeless and socially-deprived people at our drop-in centre, based in the flat above the public toilets at the corner of George Street and Spicer Street. We offer hot food and drinks, showers (and towels and toiletries) and somewhere warm and dry to meet. In the first six months of this year, we provided almost 3,000 meals to around 190 individuals.

The Centre is open weekday mornings, Monday to Thursday evenings, Saturday lunchtimes and recently early on Sunday evenings.

However to continue to maintain our level of support to those who need Centre 33, we need more volunteers.

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Most volunteers help for a couple of hours once a week or once a fortnight, although some help on a less-regular basis. Work at the Centre is not difficult - basic cooking, preparing drinks and being a friendly face for our visitors. Volunteers work in groups of three.

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact me on 07745 189084 or by email at peter.graham1@ntlworld.com