Providing a safety net for young people at a moment of great vulnerability.

Nottingham Nightstop provides emergency accommodation to young people aged 16-25 who are at the point of becoming homeless. The project, set up as a partnership between Trent Vineyard and Christian Centre Nottingham, offers hundreds of bed-nights a year in the homes of trained volunteers, most of whom are members of the partner churches.

Each young person is referred to us by one of our partner agencies, such as Housing Aid, Base 51, the local Borough Councils and many others, who also work with them by day to find appropriate longer-term accommodation. Our volunteers host them one night at a time until suitable arrangements can be put in place, keeping them out of unsuitable accommodation and preventing them from sleeping rough or in other unsafe environments.

Nottingham Nightstop prevents young people at a point of crisis from entering a downward spiral of homelessness and its associated problems, which often include drug abuse, sexual exploitation, ill-health and disengagement from education and employment.

Nottingham Nightstop volunteers are ordinary people who are willing to open the door of their home for a few nights a month to help young people in need. We give them full training to ensure that both they and the person they are hosting are comfortable and safe. We also provide opportunities for volunteer drivers to transport them to their accommodation. Both of these roles are considered to be of equal importance in making the young people feel safe and cared for.

In 2009 we piloted a befriending and mentoring support service to run alongside the accommodation service. Open to young people who have been hosted on the scheme, our trained volunteer mentors help them to develop the confidence and life skills they need to move into and maintain independent living and avoid repeat homelessness. Support is provided to access appropriate education, training and employment.

Please click here for more information and the stories of some of the young people we’ve helped.

Contact
Liz Dickinson - 0845 055 7555 / 0115 988 7060

A 2008 survey of homelessness in Nottinghamshire reported that half of all homeless women in the county are aged 16-24. This is an especially vulnerable age group and the effects of homelessness on these girls can be devastating – so with support from charity Aquila Way, we set up Cedar Housing Nottingham to provide a Christian response to these issues.

In Spring 2009, Cedar Housing opened its first support service, offering accommodation and support to ten women at a time in a specially refurbished house. Staffed 24 hours a day, the service offers its residents the professional and volunteer help they need to escape homelessness for good. For more information, visit www.cedarhousing.org.uk

Opportunities exist for women-only volunteers to give their time, experience and skills in providing free education and training, plus mentoring and support.

If you are interested in being involved, please contact the church office.

For more information on our partner, Aquila Way, visit www.aquilaway.org

Cedar housing is a registered charity (number 1125369).

In March 2011, we opened our school - TLG Nottingham, working in partnership with a the Christian educational charity called TLG.

TLG Nottingham was set up for young people at a crisis point in their education. This means that we work with young people from a variety of situations, including young people who are at risk of exclusion or who have been excluded from school.

Our vision is for children and young people to reach their full potential by receiving support, holistic education and personal development.

Our programmes:

• Tackle barriers to success (behaviours / attitudes / lack of self worth).
• Work holistically - involving the young people and their family.
• Help young people to achieve, through nationally recognised qualifications.
• Restore confidence.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are a variety of ways that appropriately vetted volunteers (this must include an enhanced CRB check) assist TLG Nottingham.

Opportunities include:

• Supporting students during lessons
• Mentoring
• Working with families
• Youth work
• Sports

There are also opportunities for volunteers to use specific skills and talents that they have eg football coaching, climbing, dance, drama, music etc.

For more information, please contact Joy Cooke (Head Teacher) by emailing joy.cooke@tlg.org.uk or by phoning 07703 187 922. 

You can also visit our website at www.tlgnottingham.org

The Street Pastor project is an exciting ministry based out of the Malt Cross Cafe Bar on St James’s Street. It’s a great opportunity to work with other Christians from different Churches all over the city. Nottingham has over 450 licensed premises and up to 100,000 people can visit the city in the evening on a busy weekend and that combined with relaxed legislation has sadly meant that Nottingham has become famous for the alcohol and drug culture and is known as the party capital for stag and hen do's.

Street Pastors engage with and aim to show Jesus' practical love and compassion to 18 to 30’s age group on the streets of Nottingham City Centre. They are there to care for, listen, comfort, protect and support people, deflecting and preventing problems before they happen, whether that is by protecting a vulnerable or intoxicated young lady by helping her get home safely or being there to listen to someone who has been the victim of crime.  Their aim is to love and care for people in a non judgmental way, this may take many different forms depending on the needs of the individual.

Street Pastors under go 12 sessions of training normally held on Saturdays or Monday evenings covering things such as first aid, counselling, alcohol and substance abuse, self defence, supporting victims of crime, domestic and sexual abuse.

Street Pastors work as part of a team of 3 or 4 people (normally 6 to 12 people per night) and commit to going on a rota 1 evening a month (Friday or Saturday) from 10 till 3 am.

We also run the safe space project that works alongside Street Pastors by providing a safe place in the city between 10pm and 3am for anyone who needs it. Street Pastors often encounter people who are too drunk to be able to use public transport, so the Safe Space is the ideal place for them to wait and sober up with water and first aid on hand. It is also ideal for people who are vulnerable and on their own, as they can wait for a taxi in a safe environment or receive first aid or just someone to listen to them. The Safe Space also has resources so that street pastors can advise and signpost people to local organizations that can deal with their specific needs.

If you would like to find out more we ask that you are over 18 and have been part of a small group for 6 months please contact Jo Cox-Brown jo.cox-brown@trentvineyard.org for more information.

The Malt Cross is a Christian Charity and café bar on St James Street. Based out of a beautiful Grade 2 listed building that was built in 1877 as a Victorian Music Hall with it's own ice rink! (kooky Victorian's). It is in the process of being loving restored to it's former glory.The Malt Cross was set up by a consortium of city centre churches, the Nottingham University Chaplaincy and St John's College, with the objective of reaching out with God’s love into Nottingham’s nightlife and connecting with the un-churched 20’s and 30’s who wouldn’t step foot in the door of a church but who we can connect with through art, music, craft and community.

Nottingham has over 450 licensed premises in the city centre, and up to 100,000 people visit the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights. The demand for entertainment coupled with relaxed legislation has led to the rapid development of the night time economy and associate binge drinking, drugs and crime culture that Nottingham has sadly become famous for. The city centre churches, council, police and ngo’s have many effective outreach initiatives and programmes but they have very little that reaches the 20’s and 30’s at night where they are at in the bars and clubs which is where the Malt Cross comes in.

The Malt Cross is considered by many to be a sanctuary, an oasis of calm in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. A safe place to enjoy the nightlife of the city and to share and explore faith. And it is here that we build relationships and create a space where people don’t expect to encounter Jesus but do.

Through the café bar we can express God’s love and introduce Jesus by great hospitality, good food and great quality, we aim to build non judgemental, supportive and encouraging relationships, taking the focus away from mere consumption and therefore creating a safe space to enjoy the night life but also to explore faith and then if people want we can signpost them to appropriate churches. We have an exciting program of arts, music and craft to stimulate conversation and our particular focus is on supporting, encouraging and working with young and local artists of all disciplines who wouldn't ordinarily be supported or have the opportunity to put on their first gigs or exhibitions. We have a host of exciting communities that meet at the Malt Cross on a weekly or monthly basis such as poetry, writers, drawing, knitting, fine art, crochet, prayer, live music, small groups, street pastors, club outreach the list is ever growing but there really is something for everyone to get involved in.

If you would like to get involved or find out more contact jo.cox-brown@trentvineyard.org or call the Malt Cross on 01159 411 048