Helping young teenagers off the streets by volunteering with Nightstop

For the last ten years, Michelle and I have welcomed more than 80 people, mostly teenagers into our home. These young people would otherwise have faced a night on the streets, making them easy targets for abuse and exploitation if they weren’t offered help. I can honestly say that volunteering with Nightstop is one of the most tangible, rewarding and practical ways of offering hope to a young person while they find their feet.

I know from my job in the police, and my experience as a Nightstop volunteer just how easy it is for young people, for anyone, to fall on hard times. Most of the people we’ve hosted have lost their homes through unimaginable circumstances, including family breakdown, or been forced out of their own country because of serious threats of violence. They usually arrive exhausted, but thankful for a safe place to stay for the night. People ask us if we feel safe hosting, and I tell them it’s incredibly safe – the charity is amazing and ensures that all young people they put forward have references, and are appropriately referred. We also receive fantastic and ongoing training on how to help them as best we can when they arrive, but often it’s just a case of showing them their room and cooking them a hot meal. However, Depaul UK’s Nightstop team is available 24/7 if we need them. It’s important to remember that it’s the young people themselves who are vulnerable, not us, and if anyone is feeling nervous, or scared, it’s usually them. 

We’ve hosted ever since our boys were at secondary school. It’s not only been beneficial for the young people that have stayed, but it’s been great for us as a family too. Some of the young people who have walked through our doors have been open about their background and have shared their stories, which means my children have learned a lot about people from all different walks of life. 

Nightstop provides emergency accommodation and offers a lifeline to many young homeless people in crisis. We help those who would otherwise face a night on the streets. It’s vital that young people know that they’re not alone, that this is temporary, and that they have their whole lives ahead of them.

Michelle and I have always been aware that our two boys have grown up mostly wanting for nothing, we are very fortunate people, and it’s important that we give back. It’s been good for our boys to know that there are real problems in the world – it’s opened their minds quite a lot and I feel it has helped shape them into the young men they are today.

Some of the young people we hosted helped them with their homework when they were younger because many are sitting exams themselves or studying. This was a huge bonus for us as parents, and of course not an expectation at all. We loved watching the boys learning from others.

At first, because of how young some of the people were, I couldn’t help but compare them to my own children. We often found ourselves thinking that if our boys, or any of their friends ever fell on hard times, we would like to think that there are people who would help them in this way or give them a safe space so they didn’t have to sleep rough.

Not everyone who walks through our door has the energy, or desire to chat and that’s OK. It’s to be expected. It’s a really scary time for the young person, they are so vulnerable, and they’ve had a really difficult time of it, so we always make sure they are shown their room and tell them what time dinner is. We invite them to talk to us, watch TV with us, but never place any expectations on them, some people just want to go to their room to sleep or study in peace. 

Chatting to the people who arrive at our door is just a bonus, it’s a great part of the role if they trust you enough to want to open up. There’s been plenty of memorable conversations.

I remember when we hosted a young deaf Polish man and we would communicate with him by typing messages onto his phone, when our made-up sign language wasn’t working.  He stayed with us on and off over a few weeks.  We all got on so well with him and were sad when he left our home for the last time.

As far as my job goes, I rarely tell anyone what I do unless asked, but sometimes I’ll open the door to someone and get a feeling that this could have been their last chance. They’re so vulnerable at that point; you know they could have so easily fallen victim to crime or lost their life, if they had to spend the night on the street. It’s such a relief to know that they’ve got somewhere safe to stay. We’ve often been told it offers them hope while the charity works tirelessly to find a more permanent solution for them. 

Now our boys have flown the nest, we’ve got more than enough room and won’t be quitting anytime soon. It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve done, and it’s so easy to see what a difference it makes. A couple of nights a month, a hot meal and shower is all that’s needed to completely change someone’s life for the better.”

Met Police Inspector Andy Briers and his wife, Michelle, volunteer for Depaul UK’s emergency accommodation service, Nightstop, which offers accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness. He is urging people to get behind the charity as demand for its services increases. Andy supports the young people through the work of youth homelessness charity, Depaul UK  who has warned of extraordinary risks to young people facing homelessness this winter and has launched an urgent appeal for volunteers across the UK who can offer them a room for the night. 

For more information about youth homelessness to apply as a volunteer or support Depaul UK’s Appeal please visit www.depaul.org.uk/appeal.