My life has been enriched by giving shelter to people who would end up on the street
A PRIMARY school headteacher has shared her experience in opening her home up to young people who are at risk of sleeping rough.
Nikki, from Ruddington, has been hosting young people at risk of homelessness for three years.
From one man who could only speak French to helping a young woman who was pregnant, semiretired Nikki said it has enriched her life more than she thought was possible. The 58-year-old said: “Everyone who has stayed has been lovely, exceptionally polite and helpful.
“There’s no expectation for them to do anything other than find comfort in their room, but sometimes the occasional visitor will insist on helping where they can.
“I remember one young chap, who told us he’d been looking after himself since he was 13 years old, was a skilled mechanic and had a really can-do attitude.
“He offered to put some oil in my car and look over it for me, which was very kind. He has such a lot to offer the world, so I think about him often.”
Nikki volunteers through the emergency accommodation service Nightstop. The service relies on the kindness of trained and vetted volunteers with a spare bedroom they are willing to offer to a guest.
Not only does the volunteer host provide the guest with a safe place to stay, a hot meal and the opportunity to wash, they also provide a listening ear to make the guest feel comfortable and secure.
During their stay, Nightstop staff will work to find somewhere more permanent for the young person and offer any additional support they might need.
Nikki added: “Nightstop kept popping up on my social media timeline, and around the same time, I watched a documentary on TV about youth homelessness, and I felt that I wanted to help in some way. It took me six months to pluck up the courage to actually do something about it, because like many people, I admit there were stereotypes about the type of people who would need shelter, and I wrongly assumed it would be harder than it is.
“Hosting young people at risk of homelessness in our home was really outside my comfort zone. I took a small leap to find out more, and spoke to other hosts who were all very positive. We’ve never looked back and will continue to host for as long as we can.”
Last year, volunteers in Nottingham provided 333 safe nights of accommodation to young people at risk of homelessness and, since the service began in 2006, Nottingham Nightstop has provided more than 2,345 bed nights to more than 700 young people.
The charity says it could help many more people if they had more people willing to volunteer. They offer full support and training, which many volunteers say is exceptional.
Nikki said one of the key things about being a volunteer for Nightstop is that it has helped widen her outlook on life and challenge stereotypes. She added: “They’ve all got one thing in common, and that is either bad luck and they’ve made one bad decision, and found themselves in a situation they didn’t expect. When they arrive, they tend to be quite frightened and nervous. I can’t blame them. The first couple of times we hosted, I was apprehensive until I realised they were far more scared than I could ever be. “Hosting may seem like a ‘big’ thing to do for people who have never done it. People say the funniest things to me, all with good intentions, but they call me ‘brave, and wonderful,’ but I don’t see it like that – it’s all really straightforward. Stepping outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens, and that’s really been the case with Nightstop volunteering.”
If you are interested in discovering more about Nightstop visit openhomes.org.uk.
People call me ‘brave, and wonderful’, but I don’t see it like that – it’s all really straightforward
Nikki