About the Organisation
Forest Churches Emergency Night Shelter (FCENS) is an independent charity working to serve the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Waltham Forest. Their goal is that no one should have to sleep rough in the borough and everyone has a place to go.
United by the plight of those experiencing homelessness, Forest Churches primarily work in collaboration with local churches in Waltham Forest to provide a winter night shelter. Previously the charity has provided a rolling night shelter with up to 30 bed spaces from the 1st November to 31st March – where guests sleep at a different church venue each night.
In partnership with local churches, they also work with a large volunteer team who cook, serve and sit with guests experiencing homelessness, who come to them for accommodation, food and company. The charity provides a year-round face to face drop-in service for people who are in immediate crisis.
Forest Churches Emergency Night Shelter supports up to 60 guests in accommodation each winter and about 200 single adults at their drop-in service on an annual basis.
Request details
Since the closure of communal shelters, Trustees have been looking for a building to use as a long-term home for the service. After a three-year search, a site has been identified in a church which is currently unused. The charity is looking to create 15 single rooms and a drop in centre using the existing halls and anterooms of the church. They are still in the early processes of planning and discussing the terms of the lease in partnership with the owners of the church, however they have been able to engage an architect to undertake a feasibility plan.
The charity would benefit from an initial consultation with a project manager to discuss their next steps. There is also scope for further support as the project progresses- including Quantity Surveyors, Planners and Structural Engineers.
Timeline
ASAP- Ideally before June 2024