Just in time for the cold weather, the refurbished Emmanuel Church is helping some of Camden’s homeless. It has joined a project offering overnight accommodation and a warm meal, once a week.

From the outside it doesn’t look like much has changed at Emmanuel, but inside the refurbishment is pretty much finished. It now has four new rooms available for the community and larger space for events and projects.

One of the new projects offered by the church is overnight accommodation, a hot meal and a shower to up to 16 homeless people from Camden on Tuesday nights from now until Christmas. It is being run by Camden Churches winter night shelter , which offers it over the coldest winter months from November to March. Each night, one of fourteen churches across the borough offer the service. The project also offers support and advice to help get its users off the streets and into permanent accommodation.

The project started in winter 2005 and, thanks to its refurbishment (which includes a kitchen and shower), this year Emmanuel has been able to join. The first session was on Tuesday and the meal was cooked by West Hampstead’s very own generous chef, Jennie Vincent from the Kitchen Table. She cooked a vegetarian curry, which was very nice according to Father Jonathan! Jennie even managed to persuade her suppliers to donate ingredients.

Father Jonathan said that “it went really well. We’ve spent all this money doing up the church, and really want to make sure we give back to the community”. The project is organised by full time caseworkers, together with the support of local volunteers. It you would like to help just contact Emmanuel Church.

To officially open the new rooms, Emmanuel is holding a ceremony on Thursday 17th November at 2pm. The Bishop of London will be there, along with the Mayor of Camden and our local MP, Tulip Siddiq. You are welcome to attend (but it would be helpful if you could let Emmanuel Church know).