Leamington Winter Support Night Shelter relocation details revealed

The Leamington Winter Support (LWS) Night Shelter has revealed the move will be from their “temporary” set-up in the Priors Club on Tower Street to Packington Place in Leamington Spa.

LWS Night Shelter was made aware of plans to develop the Priors Club when they set up the organisation, and have been raising funds to move the organisation to a permanent location since October last year.

Priors Club has been the shelter’s “temporary” location since it was opened by two University of Warwick students in 2015.

LWS Night Shelter has asked via planning application to move the not-for-profit organisation to Packington Place in south Leamington.

According to the Leamington Observer, the application plans for the new shelter include a dormitory style room, a kitchen and a communal dining area.

Should the application be successful, the Council has promised to give the LWS Night Shelter £50,000 towards refurbishment and demolition costs.

This builds on Warwick District Council’s work in not only finding LWS a new home, but also enabling a wider range of support services as part of our response to help those who are sleeping rough or are homeless

– Peter Phillips

Spokesman for the housing council, Peter Phillips said: “This builds on Warwick District Council’s work in not only finding LWS a new home, but also enabling a wider range of support services as part of our response to help those who are sleeping rough or are homeless.”

The shelter team has also been crowdfunding to raise the additional £60,000 to renovate the new premises.

The night shelter has currently hit 57% of its target, and donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lwsnightshelter.

LWS is open on Friday and Saturday night, feeding “around 40 guests, and provid[ing] a safe, warm bed for up to 20. In the past year, the shelter has welcomed 250 individual guests through its doors.”

The details of planning application follow the opening of a 22 bed hostel at William Wallsgrove House in September, which is part of an “ongoing commitment” to tackle the issue of rough sleeping across the county by Warwick District Council.

Also committed to improving the homeless epidemic in Warwickshire, the Warwickshire County Council will be sending nurses to homeless shelters and support centres across the district to deliver free vaccinations to those sleeping rough this winter.