A powerful report in The Guardian shines a light on the sharp rise in homelessness among people aged 55 and over. This is fast becoming one of the defining social challenges of our time - one that is playing out not only nationally, but in communities such as our own.

Craig built a successful life as an auto electrician, but lost everything during Covid - his business, home, and family stability - leading to homelessness. After finding support through New Hope, he slowly rebuilt his life, regaining work and independence. Despite deep family conflict and loss, he has begun to reconcile with his brother. Today, his story is one of resilience, recovery and renewed hope. You can hear Craig’s story in his own words, here: newhope.org.uk/listen.

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The Winter Night Shelter has wound up after three months supporting some of the town’s most vulnerable people. The shelter provided emergency overnight accommodation for people experiencing homelessness during the coldest months of the year. Each night, guests received a hot evening meal, a warm bed and access to support services designed to help them move toward more stable housing and improved wellbeing.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a time to celebrate women’s achievements - but also to raise awareness of the issues that disproportionately affect women. One such issue is homelessness. Homelessness negatively impacts all people experiencing it, but women face unique challenges that often go unseen, unreported, and under-resourced.