Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon homelessness charity Nightwatch has issued an urgent appeal for volunteers as it faces increasing demand for its critical community support services.
Every night in Queen’s Gardens, near Croydon Town Hall, Nightwatch, which has been in operation for nearly 50 years, provides food and other forms of assistance to the working poor and homeless.
The charity’s leaders attribute the growing number of hungry people—up to 100 per night at Nightwatch’s nightly distribution—to the cost of living crisis.
Nightwatch takes pleasure in helping the homeless and other vulnerable persons in the heart of Croydon every night of the year. However, because so many volunteers are taking summer vacations, the organization is having trouble maintaining its staffing levels.
Volunteer co-ordinator Fiona Satiro said:
“We are finding nights short of people and having to scramble to move volunteers from other nights. Some evenings we are very low on numbers. We need a good ratio of volunteers to clients to give the best service.”
Support and training are provided to all volunteers who sign up to assist with Nightwatch’s essential mission. They collaborate in a welcoming environment with people who also profit from their experience.
What impact will volunteer shortages have on Nightwatch’s ability to serve people experiencing homelessness in Croydon?
Nightwatch relies on more than 100 dedicated volunteers to provide nightly food, clothing, and direct support to vulnerable people, including the street homeless, those in hostels, and others at risk.
A shortage would mean fewer volunteers available to prepare and distribute food, conduct outreach, and offer companionship and assistance, limiting the charity’s coverage and reach.
Volunteer shortages increase the workload and pressure on the current team, risking volunteer burnout and potentially reducing service quality and consistency. This can lead to fewer nights with full services and poorer support for clients.