Redevelopment of Open Door complete

16.04.2010

Open Door has welcomed over 7,500 vulnerable homeless people since it opened in 1993. The Victorian building in Bricket Road has been extensively refurbished. Single bedrooms with en suite toilet and wash facilities have replaced the four dormitories, offering a much better environment for homeless people that will help boost self-esteem and support them as they seek to change their lives.

Other improvements to the building include the extension of the communal areas to offer access to computers, so opening up on-line resources to help people back into longer term housing, education and work.  Revised room arrangements will improve the provision of counselling as well as access to physical and mental healthcare, so addressing the problems that can lead to homelessness.

The pressures on the staff and volunteers have been reduced through improvements to the kitchen, food storage, laundry facilities and the staff overnight accommodation. The premises now offer access to disabled users.

St Albans City & District Council and Hightown Praetorian & Churches Housing Association (Hightown) submitted a joint bid for funding to the Government under the ‘Places for Change Programme’ and were successful in being allocated a grant of £525,000. The redevelopment work cost approximately £825,000, leaving a shortfall of up to £300,000. The Open Door Trust has raised funds to meet this shortfall with generous support from many local people and organisations and from grant giving charities.

The newly refurbished building was officially opened by the Right Worshipful, the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Chris Oxley, on Monday April 12th.

Margaret Lewis, Chair of the Open Door Trust said “I am delighted that we can now offer these hugely improved facilities to our homeless clients and am most grateful to the people and organisations who have generously donated to our fund raising campaigns”.

David Bogle, Chief Executive of Hightown, said “This has been an excellent and worthwhile project thanks to the support we have received from the Council, the Open Door Trust, the Department of Communities and Local Government and our many other partners. We expect to start operating the night shelter and associated day services in the refurbished premises later this month.”.

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