Nurses needed to volunteer at homeless centres this Christmas

Homelessness charity Crisis is appealing for nurses and other healthcare workers to lend their expertise at its temporary centres this Christmas.

Crisis at Christmas 2016 runs from 23-30 December, with centres set to open across London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Coventry and Edinburgh.

Each centre will provide shelter and hot meals alongside healthcare and specialist advice on housing, work and benefits.

Popular service 

Crisis says the healthcare service is one of the most popular on offer, giving guests access to valuable services they usually miss out on during the rest of the year.

Last year, 822 homeless people took advantage of health advice, assessments, interventions and treatments. 

Homelessness has increased markedly in recent years, with rough sleeping more than doubling since 2010 – a 30% rise in the last year alone.

Chance to learn 

Clinical services director and nurse Jason Warriner, who has helped run the healthcare service in one of the day centres for a number of years, welcomed the chance to broaden his knowledge through volunteering. 

‘I have gained an understanding and insight into homelessness and the issues associated with it,’ he said. ‘The knowledge and skills I have gained are now used in my everyday practice.’

Crisis at Christmas centres are run by thousands of volunteers, with registration now open at crisis.org.uk/volunteer.