A WINTER night shelter scheme run by Oxford churches is being expanded to help more rough sleepers.

Earlier this year seven churches in the city launched the Oxford Winter Night Shelter.

It ran from January to March, providing a boost to the homelessness provision overseen by other agencies in the city, including those supported by the city and county councils.

From January the scheme will grow, with another five churches joining in.

Each night, 20 homeless people will be accommodated in church buildings, double the number looked after by volunteers earlier this year.

The Rev Mary Gurr, Oxford’s homelessness chaplain, said: “I’m pleased the Oxford Winter Night Shelter is being expanded this year.

“Each night a different church will take a turn, with capacity expanding from 10 to 20 each night.

“Last time 33 people used the service, many of them returning night after night, and we know that 14 out of the 33 abandoned rough sleeping.

“We were thrilled to discover they did not go back to it and would like to think that was partly because the hospitality they received from our volunteers restored their self-esteem.

“It was always my aspiration that people using the service would look at their lives and think about how they could be different.

“Our volunteers realise that the homeless come from all walks of life and that this could happen to anyone.”

Rev Gurr, an associate priest at St Michael at the North Gate, said volunteers from all denominations, and those who were not church goers, would get involved.

She added: “There are more than 200 trained volunteers and others will come forward.”

City centre churches which offered accommodation last time were St Aldate’s, St Alban’s, St Clement’s, St Columba’s, St Ebbe’s, St Michael at the North Gate and Wesley Memorial.

They are once again taking part, together with the Christian Life Centre in Cowley Road, St Edmund & St Frideswide Church in Iffley Road, St Matthew’s Church in Marlborough Road, New Road Baptist Church, and the Jericho Institute, in association with St Barnabas Church.

Last week city council leaders said they were seeking government funding to ensure winter-long beds are provided for all rough sleepers by next winter.

Up to 215 beds are available for Oxford rough sleepers this winter, including 41 new spaces funded by the government’s temporary Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI). The council has won about £1m in RSI funding to provide extra beds this winter and next. OWNS beds are in addition to the 215.