Who we are

We’re Glass Door Homeless Charity, London's largest open-access network of emergency winter shelters and support services for men and women affected by homelessness. Our vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London, and we’re working every day to achieve this. By partnering with churches to provide shelter and support, Glass Door is committed to supporting people get—and stay—off the street.

We believe everyone has inherent dignity and we welcome those who turn to us as our guests.

We are open to all, space permitting. We do not require our guests to fill in long, complicated forms or prove they have a local connection to gain access to our services.

As an independent charity that receives no direct funding from the government, it is thanks to the support of individuals, partners, churches, community groups, businesses and trusts and foundations that we can continue to provide shelter and support to those who need it most. 

What we do

Shelter

About 130 individuals sleep in a Glass Door shelter every night in winter, making Glass Door London’s largest emergency winter night shelter network. Glass Door is able to do this thanks to partnerships with churches across West and South West London.

Guests of our emergency shelters receive a warm welcome, a hot supper and a breakfast in the morning, cooked and served by volunteers. These free services are a life-line to those who would otherwise be sleeping on the street. Find out more about accessing our shelters.

Advice and Support

Year-round, anyone in need can speak with dedicated caseworkers who offer advice, advocacy and practical support. Find out more.

Guests can access the advice and support service either in the shelters or during the daytime. The daytime advice service is made possible thanks to partnerships with drop-in centres, including Chelsea Methodist Church, Ace of Clubs, HTB Day Shelter, the Vineyard Community Centre, and the Yard in Putney. Guests of these drop-in centres can also find other services provided by the drop-ins, such as lunch, laundry and showers. Find out more.

Glass Door not only saves lives by providing refuge from the cold, we also help our guests build more stable futures.

The film

What others have said:

The difference for me about this charity is the fact their doors are open to anyone, regardless of where they’re from or why they’re there. It’s a fabulous example of a community joining together and supporting those in a vulnerable chapter of their lives, giving them a route out of homelessness.

  • Hugh Pym, BBC Broadcaster and Glass Door Volunteer

I was able to experience first-hand the excellent work of Glass Door.... An army of parish volunteers cooked and served a wonderful meal and then prepared the church hall for the guests who were sleeping there for the night. There was a great atmosphere of friendship and welcome.... Most of all there was a tangible sense of our shared humanity and a desire to be there with each other and for each other.

  • Bishop John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark.

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