Breakfast club helping rough sleepers find homes

Hope was the last thing on Joseph's mind after five months sleeping rough in Wolverhampton.

But after attending a breakfast club run by the Good Shepherd charity, he said he finally had "something to look forward to in the mornings".

A cooked breakfast, shower, clean clothing and one-to-one support gave him purpose - and after months of support he found a place at a hostel.

Now a tenant in other accommodation, where he has lived for a year, he is among 240 people who have been helped by the project since it started two years ago.

Breakfast is offered on three mornings a week as well as once a month on Saturdays and the charity carries out outreach work on the streets, to invite people to get involved, while working with other charities.

Paul Burns, from the charity, said: "Joe used to pack-up his stuff and come down to breakfast club three times a week.

"It became a place he felt safe and could relax, something that's difficult when you're living on the streets on high alert.

"He used to come in sometimes soaked from the rain; in your late 60s with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), it's not easy."

Joseph said the outreach worker made a huge difference to him: "Paul was a tremendous help, always has been."

The team supported Joseph with his physical and mental health and helped him move to the hostel, before he then secured a tenancy with a private landlord.

The project has assisted many people in finding accommodation, tackling homelessness in the city, a spokesperson said.

"Alongside this, the service continues to support people in rebuilding their lives," they added.

"[They include] 96 individuals who have received help to better manage their physical and mental health, and 62 who have increased their engagement with community activities and services."

Tom Hayden, chief executive at the Good Shepherd, said there was a "clear need" for the club in the city and they were grateful to their fundraisers in helping to make it happen.

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