Shrewsbury Ark celebrates success of service transformation

In the lead up to World Homeless Day on October 10th, The Shrewsbury Ark, a local homeless charity, is celebrating the remarkable success of its service transformation implemented a year ago.

This bold move has resulted in over 20 individuals being supported into permanent housing and a significant decrease in anti-social behaviour and crime rates in the vicinity of the day centre.

Last year, following a rise in anti-social behaviour in and around the centre on Castle Foregate, the Trustees temporarily closed the Ark to review its service delivery.

Working collaboratively with the police, local service providers, the Council and the people who use the service, the charity, which has been a vital lifeline for homeless and vulnerable individuals in Shropshire for over 50 years, transitioned from an open-door policy to a referral-only (either from an organisation or self-referral) model of service.

This new model allows staff to provide more intensive and personalised support to a smaller number of verified rough sleepers.

Emily Bell, Chair of Trustees for The Shrewsbury Ark, says: "We are living in very different times to when the Charity was formed in 1972, and Shrewsbury is no exception to the nationwide trend of an increase in homelessness. The latest national government figures released in August show 94,560 households had initial homelessness assessments, a 6.1% increase compared to the same quarter last year when using the same data measurements.

"In Shropshire, we currently have around 30 individuals who are verified as sleeping on the streets and according to the Local Government data there are 242 households in temporary accommodation with 292 households were assessed and given a duty of care due to homelessness.

"It was an incredibly challenging process to rethink how we could make the day centre safer for everyone - people who use our services, staff, volunteers, and our neighbours - while at the same time, fulfilling the charity’s objectives.

“We are the only organisation in Shropshire offering a day centre with a range of services and support for homeless and vulnerable people, and we are incredibly proud of our staff and volunteers who worked collaboratively to make the Ark what it is today: a calm, safe, and supportive space."

Inspector Tanfield from the Shrewsbury Safer Neighbourhood Team praised the Charity’s efforts, saying: “Staff from The Ark did a lot of work with us last autumn to change their operating model.  Among other things, The Ark moved away from an open-door policy, to supporting the relatively small number of verified people who are rough sleeping who need their help most. 

“As a result, reports of anti-social behaviour and crime have fallen by more than 70% in and around the Ark since 2022.  This improvement has really been felt by the people I speak to in the town centre and by my police colleagues.  And hopefully the people who use The Ark also find it a safer and more supportive place too.  We will continue to work with The Ark and other partners to ensure Shrewsbury remains a safe place for residents, visitors and businesses.”

In the first six months of 2024 the Ark Day Centre provided 1,840 meals, 310 showers and 370 laundry loads to street homeless individuals in the town. Supporting 24 individuals into accommodation. 

Kev, one of the people supported by the charity, says: "It’s now everything it wasn’t. With organised activities, like fishing, it’s brilliant now. The Ark is safe and supportive."

Emily concludes: "I want to thank the local community for their patience and support during the period of change. The Ark is a true community asset, giving individuals in crisis a safe place to go to, and the opportunity and support to change.

“With heating and building maintenance, staff salaries, staff and volunteer training, and other ongoing costs, it costs the charity £360,000 each year to operate The Shrewsbury Ark day centre. We don’t receive any Government funding, and we are funded entirely by grants and donations; we are exceedingly grateful and especially thank all the local donors—both corporate and personal – for their vital ongoing support.

“We rely heavily on our amazing team of 40 plus volunteers and are grateful for the support of our partner organisations, including the Council’s Rough sleepers Team, RESET, and the Shrewsbury Food Hub."

To find out how to support The Shrewsbury Ark, whether by making a donation or volunteering, please visit shrewsburyark.com.