Volunters Ruth Auger and Sue Blaydes chat with Colin and Mark at the Catching Lives Day Centre in Station Road East, Canterbury

by Gerry Warren

Homeless people have admitted they could resort to crime to survive after the shock revelation the city’s only drop-in centre is to close.

Catching Lives, which runs the building in Station Road East, says it will shut in a fortnight unless it is thrown a £50,000 cash lifeline.

It will mean dozens of vulnerable people missing out on shelter, hot meals, donated clothes and showers at the centre.

Mark Wright, 44, who visits the centre daily, said: “I feel really gutted about it. This place gave me a foot on the ladder and a place to stay. I think a lot of people will turn to shoplifting just to feed themselves.”

Another user Tom, 23, who refused to give his surname for fear of reprisals, said: “People don’t realise how much we need a shelter. For us it is either starve or steal.”

Colin Walker, 47, who has slept on the streets for 25 years, said: “I have got a lot of convictions for crime, but none in the last nine years. This place is a lifesaver.

“If you don’t have this access to food and showers we would suffer all the time – people will turn to crime.

Terry Gore at the Catching Lives Day Centre in Station Road East, Canterbury

“I have no feelings about taking from conglomerates such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. They just monopolise the world. I have no respect for them, but I wouldn’t target the independent shops.”

Steve Williamson, who used to live the woods in Herne, says he was “saved” by Catching Lives.

He said: “They passed me on to Porchlight who got me a place in a hostel. Because of them, I’m moving onwards and upwards and getting myself sorted. Those using the centre now will be looking for the bottom of a whisky bottle.

“The centre gives you something to do, something to get up for. They really do catch lives.

“The government should be putting more money into programmes like this.”

Married couple Kelly Brown, 39, and Sarah Brown, 30, added: “This centre has done absolutely everything for us. They have given us food, showers, a change of clothes and helped us get job interviews.

“We will starve to death if they close this place down.”

Steve Williamson has lived in the woods for 25 years

Catching Lives says it has simply run out of money to keep the service going and applications for funding have been knocked back. But it has put out a last ditch SOS in a bid to save the centre.

Only recently, its patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke at a fundraising dinner about the value of the service to the homeless and community.

It is not the first time the charity has run into difficulties.

In 2009, when it was known as the Scrine Foundation, it was forced to close its night shelter in Station Road East because of management and legal problems.

It led to dozens of homeless people being put out on to the streets and having to sleep rough.