Since 13 January temperatures in Poole have dropped to 0° or below on a number of occasions. As a result the Poole Outreach and Support Team (POST – Routes to Roots in partnership with Bournemouth Churches Housing Association) has triggered its Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP). SWEP provides rough sleepers with a hot meal, overnight accommodation and breakfast in a Poole church hall.
Three to eight people have taken advantage of the accommodation out of 12 known to be sleeping rough at this time. The hall can take a maximum of 10. When temperatures rise the accommodation closes but POST continues to monitor the situation and will re-open as necessary. The POST team engages with all known rough sleepers within the Borough of Poole on a daily basis and encourages them to move away from rough sleeping and into safe accommodation.
Anyone who has concerns about someone who is either rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping can contact Poole Outreach Support Team (POST) on:
07966 808802 / 07985 998904 or at [email protected]
Alternatively, in the case of a housing emergency or if you are aware of a person who requires more information about their current tenancy, you can call Housing and Community Services:
Housing Advice Free Phone: 0800 0929710 or Out of Hours: 0800 50 60 50
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In January Routes to Roots was able to fund emergency bed and breakfast for a homeless person who, on discharge from hospital, would have had nowhere to go and was preparing to spend the night in one of Poole’s public toilets.
