A COUNTY charity for the homeless has launched its second harm reduction drop-in service in Evesham.
Maggs Day Centre’s new service will care for those in need every Wednesday at the Lighthouse, alongside the team at Caring Hands in the Vale.
The service will offer clean works, Naloxone provision and training, blood borne virus testing and a safe space for anyone to talk about alcohol and substance use, whether they are homeless or not.
Jenny Pengelly, harm reduction worker at Maggs, said: “The team at Caring Hands in the Vale have always been so supportive of Maggs and what we do.
“As two neighbouring organisations, we’re usually both helping those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or just need a friendly face for a chat, and together we can strengthen our support by offer a wider range of solutions to help those in need to take the next step.”
Magg’s harm reduction team partners with homelessness, health providers, and other agencies across Worcestershire to address substance misuse and any health-related issue associated with substance dependency.
As well as the drop-in service, Maggs travels across the county to support the homeless and works collaboratively to break down barriers and open up pathways for those in need to access harm reduction.
Diane Bennett at Caring Hands in the Vale, Evesham added: “We’re really excited to welcome the Maggs team to The Lighthouse.
“This widens our support network and we’re really keen to ensure that Caring Hands helps as many people as we can, especially during such difficult times.”
“We have no doubt that the team will do great things in building trust and engagement with people.”
Maggs works throughout Worcestershire and hosts two day centres in Worcester and Malvern, alongside several specialist teams – an outreach team, an intensive transition support team for complex needs and the harm reduction team.
The charity also hosts their own Clothing Project, which is run solely on donations and offers vital items such as sleeping bags, rucksacks and roll mats to rough sleepers or household items to those who have recently been accommodated.
Visit www.maggsdaycentre.co.uk for more information.
