published 29 April 2019

"The twenty-year review", Glass Door's latest publication, takes stock of what Glass Door has achieved in since 1999 in partnership and with the support of many in the community. 

Highlights from providing twenty years of shelter and support in the community include: 

• about 5,000 guests have found a safe place to sleep in the shelter network 
• more than 1,000 have been helped to find more permanent accommodation 
• almost 700 have been supported to find work

Shelter

In the winter of 2018-2019, Glass Door fielded requests from 1,852 individuals in need of shelter. That's 42% increase in demand compared to the previous winter.

Thanks to the support of many, including 29 churches and over 1,463 registered volunteers, we were able to provide shelter for exactly 700 different guests, each of whom stayed an average of 28 days in our network of church-based shelters. In total, we provided 19,281 spaces for sleeping inside the shelter network over the winter period. That's more than a three-fold growth over ten years. 

Casework

Since hiring our first full-time caseworker in 2007, Glass Door has offered advice and support to over 6,000 individuals. Currently, Glass Door employ a team of ten caseworkers who have worked with more than 1,100 homeless or vulnerably housed guests in the past 11 months alone. 

The publication was launched at 26 April 2019 event with volunteers, partners and supporters to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the charity's network of shelters. There, Chair of Trustees Rev Brian Leathard and COO Lucy Abraham reviewed progress to date and thanked everyone for the role they have played in offering shelter and support to a growing number of individuals turning to Glass Door.

Lucy reviewed not only the growth in Glass Door's services in the charity's history, but also the increase in need. Rough sleeping estimates vary from doubling to tripling in London over the past 10 years, she noted. 

With an ever-growing group of people needing our help, we cannot rest on our laurels.

This is why, Lucy added, subject to securing additional partners and funding, we hope "to have a fifth circuit up and running from November 2019, and to pilot further circuits in the following years." 

Said Rev Brian: 

A strong community means everything. We are so much more than the bricks and mortar of our shelters and support services. Together, we hold the living connections that bind us, nurture us and protect us. Thank you for being part of the Glass Door community.

Play a part in what we achieve by:

• donating 
• fundraising 
• volunteering with Glass Door. 

The twenty-year review