Homelessness charity St Petrocs is asking Cornwall residents to spare a thought for those on the streets at Christmas by supporting its dedicated Winter Services.

Winter is an especially unsafe time for homeless people, with freezing temperatures and harsh weather conditions placing them at serious risk of harm. St Petrocs’ Winter Services launched in November 2024, earlier than planned, in response to the increased number of people forced to sleep outside in the winter months.

The winter provision runs alongside the charity’s year-round work, providing extra room spaces and emergency accommodation opportunities. Between November 1 and December 13, St Petrocs Winter Services provided emergency accommodation for 33 people who were at risk of or forced to sleep outside in cold, unsafe conditions. Since then, 18 of those people have found a stable place to call home.

This was on top of 213 people helped through its standard services, 117 of whom were forced to sleep outside while others experienced forms of hidden homelessness such as sofa-surfing - 63 people were provided with safe accommodation.

The charity provides supported accommodation via 165 rooms, all of which are currently occupied, highlighting the overwhelming demand for services and the urgency of addressing this crisis.

Outreach worker Sofia Roder said: “When it’s wet and cold, it can be very hard to stay dry and warm up again, which has implications for physical and mental health. That’s why we are keen to get people inside where we can. Everyone deserves to have a safe place to live.”

St Petrocs client Sarah, who is currently being supported through its Winter Services, slept outside for one night. “I didn’t actually sleep - I stayed up because I was scared,” she said.

“It was good to talk to people about what I had been through, but I didn’t expect everything to move so quickly. It’s been really nice to have my own space, be able to put my stuff away somewhere - not just be in bags and suitcases, which is what I’ve been living out of for the last ten months.”

St Petrocs chief executive Henry Meacock said: “Our winter services offer a lifeline to people who find themselves outside in the cold in the darkest months of the year. We have a really good track record of people coming to us in crisis situations accessing these services who we then support into longer-term accommodation.

“The St Petrocs Winter Appeal is so important for us to be able to put on our Winter Services and help people move away from the streets for good.”

St Petrocs is an independent local charity working to prevent homelessness, make any experience of homelessness short, and support people out of homelessness permanently.

Services include advice and medical services at community resource centres in Truro and Penzance, and around the county with an outreach team; supported accommodation for 165 people across Cornwall; a skills, training and employment programme to ensure that people can return to independence; and Freshfield, an in-house counselling service and telephone helpline.

To donate or learn more, visit www.stpetrocs.org.uk