Thanet Winter Shelter has helped 23 homeless people off the streets in its first year.

The scheme, run for the first time this winter by Thanet District Council in partnership with the Salvation Army, saw a total of 42 rough sleepers given food, a safe place to sleep and support.

The shelter ran from December 1 until February 28 as a pilot initiative for 2016/17.

It provided a safe place to sleep, as well as an evening meal and breakfast.

The shelter offered a total of 1,350 beds for the night and 2,768 meals to those sleeping rough across Thanet.

The shelter ran in conjunction with the Aspire Homelessness project, providing people with practical help and support to work through the barriers preventing them from moving towards a life off the streets.

“We are delighted with this positive outcome, successfully helping 23 individuals to look towards a life off the streets." - Cllr Lin Fairbrass

It was supported by more than 390 volunteers, who donated more than 9,290 hours of their time. Funded with £20,000 from the council, the scheme was also supported by the Homelessness Forum and Thanet’s churches.

Cllr Lin Fairbrass, deputy leader and cabinet member for community services, said: “We are delighted with this positive outcome, successfully helping 23 individuals to look towards a life off the streets.

"As this was the first year running the scheme, we were unsure of how much engagement we would see from guests staying at the shelter, but these statistics show a phenomenal response and a significant turnaround for 23 people who otherwise be sleeping on Thanet’s streets.

“There was an overwhelming amount of help from volunteers and I’d personally like to thank every member of the Thanet community who showed their support by either giving up their time at each of the shelter’s 90 nights or for their donations of money, food, clothes and bedding.”

Project manager Ian Buckland, of the Salvation Army, said: “The Thanet Winter Shelter was an outstanding success.

"This was only possible by the generosity and support received from the Urban Trinity comprising the Local Authority, Kent Police and the Thanet Community. Over half of the 390 volunteers who gave of their time to staff the shelter shifts came from the non-faith community.

"We will review the operation of the shelter pilot. The current feeling is that we will run the shelter again next year using church halls as venues.

"The provision of a winter shelter will become part of the coordinated approach in addressing homelessness in Thanet”

The shelter fundraising team are planning events to raise the money needed to run the shelter again next year.