The organisation that helps homeless people in the Devizes area has appealed for volunteers to staff their drop-in centre in the town.

There has been a drop-in for people who are sleeping rough or “sofa surfing” - staying temporarily with various friends - since the early 1990s when it was set up by Kennet Action for Single Homeless.

The original drop-in centre was in Northgate Street before moving to the Cromwell Rooms in Station Road. The new drop-in is at St James’s church hall and is one of three projects for homeless people in Devizes run by the Alabare Christian Care Centres, which has taken over from KASH.

But to keep it running, Alabare needs to attract volunteers.

David Durston of Alabare explained: “In spite of the vital work they do supporting some of the most vulnerable members of society, drop-in centres receive very little money from public funds.

“Over the past six years Alabare have funded the Devizes centre at a cost of around £25,000 to £30,000 each year, and this money is no longer available.

“A recent sleep-out in Salisbury Cathedral cloisters led by the Bishop of Ramsbury raised £30,000 but this has to be divided among three drop-in centres in Wiltshire, at Trowbridge, Salisbury and Devizes.”

Mr Durston says that the work at the Devizes drop-in could be handled by half a dozen volunteers who would each come in once a week to open up, staff the centre, cook the meals, and talk to the people who come in.

For further information contact Andrew Lord at a.lord@alabare.co.uk or Noel Woolrych on noel@woolrych.co.uk