Organisers of Monmouth’s night shelter for the homeless are appealing to generous, festive-spirited local businesses or individuals to donate a small fridge and other essentials in readiness for the centre opening its doors next month.

The night shelter in Market Hall, Priory Street will be run by volunteers from Monmouth churches through January and February when temperatures are likely to plummet below freezing. 

The project works on a three shift basis - with volunteers manning the shelter in the evenings (6pm-9.30pm), nights (9.15pm-6.15am) and mornings (6 am- 9.30am).

The night shelter will be providing a hot evening meal cooked off-site, friendship, overnight accommodation and breakfast - with guests leaving after breakfast with a packed lunch and drink to see them through the day.

"We have the premises - confirmed just last week - and most of the equipment we need, which has either been borrowed, donated or bought using the very limited funds we have raised, but we are desperately in need of an under the counter fridge," said Gillian Waters, a volunteer from St Dubricius Church, Whitchurch.

"It doesn’t have to be too sophisticated, and can be simply on loan for a couple of months. But obviously it must be in good working order.

"Of course if anyone would like to give us a brand new fridge that would be fantastic!"

Gillian is passionate about Monmouth’s night shelter project, having experienced homelessness herself on four separate occasions as a young child growing up in Liverpool.

"Last year the night shelter was run in three different local churches on three different nights of the week, this year we can offer one premises for the three nights, which is a far better arrangement

"The evening meals and cooked breakfasts will be prepared in the church kitchens and delivered to the shelter in insulated bags.

"But we’ll have a ’servery’ at the shelter with a kettle and microwave oven for making hot drinks and toast.

"Apart from the fridge, we’d really appreciate gifts or loans of crockery, cutlery, water jugs, tea towels, cleaning cloths, mops, brushes and so on from local businesses or any source - and no donation is too small!"

If you’d like to help please email: [email protected] or [email protected]