Churches across Medway are to open their doors to offer the homeless a safe and warm place during the coldest nights of the year.

The Medway Winter Night Shelter is a project run by Churches Together in Medway and the Strood Community Project, and so far up to 14 churches are taking part.

Organisers believe about 50 people are sleeping on the streets of the Towns each night, with others sleeping on sofas or living in vulnerable housing.

Ann Richardson, vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Twydall, said: “This comes from lots of different places, different churches and different community groups noticing they are coming across more people rough sleeping.

“There’s lots of groups supporting people during the day, but we haven’t ever had anything in recent years during the coldest months of the years where people can go and sleep.”

The shelter will have beds for 12 people to sleep and get a hot meal prepared by volunteers.

So far 90 people have signed up to help run the shelter, from cooking meals, sleeping at the shelter, lending a supportive ear, and doing the laundry.

It will open in churches across Medway on Monday, January 4, and is being supported by the Housing Justice charity which aims to reduce homelessness. It will run for 10 weeks until March but may be extended, depending on the weather.

The shelter venues are spread across the Towns and users, who need to be referred by organisations such as Caring Hands, Medway Council or the police, will be collected from a central meeting place and returned there in the morning.

For more information about the shelter and how you can help visit medwayshelter.weebly.com