Reigate may not
strike you as a place of social need, but like so many UK towns
and cities, you need look only just below the surface to find
young people who are pushed to the very edges of society. Wayside
is the only hostel for homeless women in Reigate, and one of
only two in the whole of Surrey. From the first day Wayside
opened it has been constantly full and each week we receive
many enquiries from women desperate for somewhere to live. The
majority of the young women who come to Wayside are under 20
- yet they have already suffered and experienced some truly
terrible things.
Wayside offers supported accommodation for up to 17 young women,
including a 3-bedroomed disabled unit with its own shower room
and kitchen.
A full-time manager, an assistant manager and 5 project workers
run Wayside. A member of staff is available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. Unlike many hostels we provide weekend night
staff. Our senior staff are Christians and we believe this makes
a real difference to the way we run the project.