Bury St Edmunds charity, Bury Drop In, sees increase in those needing the service

A charity which supports homeless people in Bury St Edmunds has said it has seen an increase in the number of people using the service.

Bury Drop In, which provides hot meals and tents for homeless and vulnerably housed people, as well as advice and support, has said it has seen a 25 per cent rise in those needing help since the beginning of August.

It follows on from foodbank charity Gatehouse announcing earlier this month it was in critical stages as demand had increased while donations had dropped.

For Bury Drop In, the issue of homelessness is very real with the charity seeing four service-users, two who were under the age of 30, die this year.

General manager Sabine Dornbusch said: “Out of 120 registered guests, over 40 are regularly attending and we are registering sometimes six new guests a week.

“We are, like many charities, feeling the pinch a bit. We are handing out tents and sleeping bags and water bottles in the summer quite a lot. I think it’s getting worse rather than better with the winter coming.”

The charity has set out a three-year strategy which includes aims such as recruiting more volunteers, continuing to provide dental care services, and working with other agencies.

Sabine added that there were several reasons why there was an increase in demand.

She said: “We’re seeing increasingly that it’s people who have lost their jobs or after family breakdowns. They can slide down from living in a car or sofa surfing into street homelessness.

“The prisons and hospitals are overcrowded and sometimes they release people with no care plan in place which is due to lack of funding or people turn down their care plan.

“Homelessness is a very hard life – it sucks everything out of you and it’s dangerous.”

Sabine hopes more people will come forward to volunteer.

Bury Drop In will be able to continue its dental project for registered guests this winter which started last year.

There will also be a service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on October 8 at 4.30pm to raise awareness of the work the charity does.

Bury Drop In sessions are held on Tuesday and Friday from 11am to 1.30pm at Trinity Methodist Church.