COLCHESTER Emergency Night Shelter is looking to raise £1million to expand.

Staff want to either build, or buy, a new three-storey building to create an in-between home for those people who no longer need the shelter but aren’t ready to live on their own.

It would have offices, ten to 15 en-suite rooms and a further five one-bed flats.

The current night shelter would remain.

Marina Woodrow, manager at the shelter, said: “At the moment the night shelter is made up of three buildings which are muddled together. It’s not ideal.

“We are looking at creating an all-singing, all-dancing new night shelter. It’s really exciting.

“People who come here are with us for sometimes up to a year.

“The name night shelter makes it sound like people turn up and ask for a bed and that’s it. But of course it’s not like that.

“When they leave, we still offer them support, but we would like to do that in a more stable environment. This new building would let us do that.”

The night shelter, in Alexandra Road, has 20 beds and finds people places to live with private landlords when they move on.

But sometimes people struggle adjusting, which is where the new building would help by offering support.

Staff also help the homeless to find work.

The shelter has a new computer room where people write CVs and there is a job club.

The charity is now looking into creating an allotment, possibly at the new building, and offering courses to help people get jobs, such as in furniture restoration.

It is also considering ways to become self sustaining, relying less on donations, perhaps by opening charity shops.

Miss Woodrow said: “We are talking about the long game here. £1million is a lot of money.

“If everyone donated 50p, then it would be a huge amount of money towards our new building.

“We are calling it the Brick in the Wall project, because often people cannot donate £10, but it is this small kind of contribution which all adds up.

“Now we have actively started fundraising, in a little while we can go to a fund and show them how much we have raised on our own and ask for help.”

Fundraising events are already in the pipeline, with a ball being organised for January at the Wivenhoe House Hotel with chefs from the Ritz being lined up to cater.

Miss Woodrow added: “We want people to know we are here and we have big plans too.”

To donate to the fund, call 01206 549885, visit the shelter at 39 to 41 Alexandra Street, Colchester, or email enquiries@colchesternightshelter.org.uk