Emergency short-term accommodation for people who are homeless
Emmanuel House offers short-term emergency accommodation for up to 20 people every night. 2026 is our 20th year of providing the Nottingham Night Shelter.
Guests are provided with somewhere safe and secure to sleep, as well as evening meals and breakfast. All guests are provided with a Case Worker who can support them to find accommodation and help with accessing other services.
During the day, guests can access Emmanuel House’s weekday morning drop-in services at its day centre in Nottingham city centre. They are also invited to take part in afternoon activities to reduce social isolation such as singing, drama group, games and wellbeing sessions, as well as access drop-in sessions with specialist external services such as the Homeless Health Team. Guests also have access to Emmanuel House’s mental health teams.
How do I make a referral to the Night Shelter?
If you are a member of the public and would like to make a referral to the Night Shelter, please contact Framework’s Street Outreach Team.
If you are a charity or agency working in the homelessness sector in Nottingham, please call our support centre to make a referral: 0115 950 7140.
Who can access the Night Shelter?
Anyone over the age of 18 can access our services regardless of their personal characteristics, cultural identity or economic status. Support staff will continue to work with individuals to find ‘move-on’ and permanent accommodation.
How can I support the Night Shelter?
Donate
It costs us £753 a night to run the Night Shelter service.
Donate non-perishable food, sleeping bags or clothes
We provide two meals a day for every guest in the Night Shelter. We make these meals using food that’s donated by our supporters. Guests can also be provided with a clean set of clothes, thanks to your donations.
Volunteer
Serve meals at the Shelter – shifts are available Monday to Sunday from morning to evening.
The legacy of the Winter Shelter
Before the pandemic, the Winter Shelter, which has been running since 2006, used shared spaces such as church halls, to offer accommodation to people who were rough sleeping each night.
At the peak of the virus and as part of the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ initiative, the Shelter provision was moved to single rooms in local hotels where guests were able to safely self-isolate. The 24 hour wrap-around support this accommodation model offered proved invaluable and a total of 178 people moved into long-term accommodation.
In order to find a new solution that enabled us to continue with the Winter Shelter, accommodation was offered by The University of Nottingham at a cost-neutral rate. This allowed support work to continue during the day as guests were helped to find work, permanent accommodation and access other services. The Winter Shelter used an empty building on the University Campus. It was modified with the use of temporary walls and screens, so that each guest had their own space, with additional rooms on a separate floor used as isolation rooms if a guest tests positive for Covid-19. The Winter Shelter offered 24 hour access, so that if there was another lockdown, guests were able to use their rooms all day.
The Night Shelter serves the needs of homeless and vulnerable people during the coldest months of the season. We provide them with shelter, acceptance, physical and emotional support, and encouragement in making positive changes in their lives. Anyone over the age of 18 can access the services regardless of their personal characteristics or cultural identity.
The Night Shelter provides a lifeline for the most vulnerable people in our society, giving them a safe space where they can find welcome, warmth and rest, food and drink and support and advice that can help them move away from homelessness to a brighter future. If the Night Shelter is unable to operate, many needy people will be at risk.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about donating to the Night Shelter: donations@emmanuelhouse.org.uk.
