A night shelter for homeless people in Reading will reopen its doors next month for the first time since 2019.

New Beginnings Reading served hot meals, provided clothes and offered a place to sleep  until the Covid pandemic hit.

Now restrictions have been lifted, their All Night Café Shelter will be open every Friday to Sunday from December 3.

“One thing Covid has shown some of us is how vulnerable we are, because literally in the blink of an eye your circumstance can change,” said founder Grace Gomez.

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She explained how the reintroduction of "no-fault" eviction powers for landlords meant more people were ending up on the street.

“Suddenly your life can look very different so it’s important now more than ever that we have this service in Reading.”

She explained how visitors told of how they slept in phone boxes or hospital toilets in an attempt to stay safe.

“It’s awful. You wouldn’t believe some of the stories we’ve heard, it’s heartbreaking.”

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Grace and her team (which you can donate to here) will be making a special effort to stay open on Christmas Day after the success of the last one they provided.

“One of the guys had tears in his eyes when he said ‘we had the most amazing day,’ he said they had so much food and another man said he felt like a human being again.”