Homelessness charity St Petrocs has launched its Winter Appeal calling for donations to help provide critical services for those on Cornwall’s streets.

Freezing temperatures, shorter days and inclement weather place people at serious risk of harm. In response, St Petrocs aims to provide immediate shelter and access to life-saving resources for those in need.

In October, St Petrocs’ resource centres and outreach teams worked with 206 people experiencing homelessness, with 112 forced to sleep outdoors while others sofa-surfed and experienced other forms of hidden homelessness.

The charity helped 51 people into stable accommodation. Its 165 rooms are currently fully occupied, highlighting the overwhelming demand for services.

Oliver, who benefited from St Petrocs’ winter services last year, said: "Being on the street was cold, lonely and sometimes scary. Being in the warm, being able to shower and be safe, made a big difference."

St Petrocs offers advice, support and medical services at community resource centres in Truro and Penzance, and around the county with an outreach team; supported accommodation housing across Cornwall; a skills, training and employment programme to ensure people can return to independence; and Freshfield, an in-house counselling service and telephone helpline.

St Petrocs chief executive Henry Meacock said: “We have a really good track record of people coming to us in crisis situations, accessing our winter services. We support them into longer-term accommodation. The Winter Appeal is so important for us to be able to help people move away from the streets for good.”

To donate or learn more about St Petrocs' services, visit www.stpetrocs.org.uk