Every year a homeless shelter reopens its doors for the winter months but with strict new rules in place things are set to look a lot different.

The Gravesham Sanctuary provides an overnight refuge for rough sleepers as well as an opportunity to access support and rebuild their lives.

Steve Nolan is project manager at Gravesham Sanctuary

It works in partnership with Gravesend Methodist Church and a network of 12 other churches across the county to help ensure everyone has a roof over their heads.

But the facility was forced to shut following the first lockdown as the government instructed councils to urgently source housing for the homeless.

As part of Kent's response to the "Everyone In" scheme, Gravesham council helped house more than 40 people - including two childless couples and two families with children - into emergency accommodation, temporary shelters and B&Bs.

With the latest lockdown set to end, the Sanctuary would at this time usually expect to welcome up to 17 guests at their communal facilities provided by the authority. But this is no normal year.

"This year it looks an awful lot different," says Steve Nolan, project manager at the shelter.

"I appreciate everybody's lives have been affected but for the Sanctuary it has affected us a lot.

"And so we have had to make Sanctuary as Covid safe as you possibly can. That's not been easily to do and you can't make it totally safe... but we take it very, very seriously."

The Sanctuary plans to run until Easter next year seven nights a week and has employed four full time employees to work alongside a roster of volunteers.

It has invested in masks, gloves, sanitisers and new screens to help keep guests and volunteers safe.

There's also been a change in venue as more stringent government rules demand those taking up offers of beds be kept isolated in separate rooms rather than communal dorms, to curb the potential spread of the virus.

"With government guidelines we couldn't use the communal venue that the council originally gave us," said Steve.

"We usually sleep 15-17 people but because they are breathing in the same air you can longer do that.

"And so the council had to seek an alternative to that decision, and they have been very supportive of us and they have actually found a building that has 10 bedrooms."

He added: "It is not as many as we had last season but 10 is better than nothing."

The new sleeping facility, the location of which is being kept under wraps to protect occupants, will run alongside the existing venue used to register guests and signpost support.

Just a few days in and so far 7 out of 10 beds have been taken up, says Steve.

And he fears demand will soon outstrip supply as winter approaches and as more people struggle amid the economic fallout of the pandemic which has seen rising levels of unemployment and financial hardship.

'We see the situation getting far worse before it gets better...'

"I do think we are very likely to have a waiting list for beds," he said. "That is just the reality of where we are."

"And that's not because people are not doing their job it is because Covid is going to have a huge effect on people's finances and their future wellbeing."

Steve added: "We see the situation getting far worse before it gets better."

A study published by The Lancet predicts around 266 lives were saved across the UK as a result of finding homeless people accommodation during the first lockdown.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak used the spending review yesterday to set out the government’s ambition to tackle homelessness after the coronavirus pandemic.

An additional £254m, to be made available from the start of the financial year in April, will be set aside for council coffers to prevent rough sleeping.

But as the second lockdown comes to an end there has been no extension of the "Everyone In" scheme.

Charities such as Shelter and Crisis as well as councillors have strongly urged the government to take heed and re-introduce the policy this winter.

"What Covid has proven is it is possible to get the homeless off the streets," said Sanctuary volunteer Steve.

"If we returned to what we did pre Covid that would be very very sad in my view. No one needs to be homeless, nobody needs to go through that.

"Nobody deserves it, we are all human beings and at the very least we need a roof over our head."

In the meantime he praised the support of the volunteers helping to run the Sanctuary who he labelled the "real heroes".

'Nobody deserves it, we are all human being and at the very least we need a roof over our head....'

But he added numbers had been hit and they can always do with more, particularly to address any "burnout" among their current helpers.

"I'm so grateful for those people that have stepped up to help us run Sanctuary," he said.

"These are the people who are important - those that give up their time to serve those that have got less.

"Everyone of them, no matter what they do in sanctuary, whether it is cleaning the floor, cooking food or talking to our guests - which is so important because they are used to be ignored.

"When you open up to these people you can make such a huge difference. It doesn't always work but in my view if you change one life it is worth doing."

Jenny Wallace, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for housing services, said: “This year more than ever it is important that those who find themselves without a roof over their heads are found somewhere safe to spend Christmas and the winter months.

"Gravesham Sanctuary and the volunteers and council-funded co-ordinators who staff it do incredible work to make sure this happens and we do all we can to support them in their efforts.

She explained the alternative accommodation sourced by the council will help those who need it "have a secure and healthy place to stay".

“This builds on the work we did in getting all rough sleepers off the streets during the first Covid lockdown period, since then we have successfully applied for government funding to find more long-term solutions to the problem of homelessness in the borough," Cllr Wallace added.

"We are working on plans to use that money to its fullest potential and will be able to talk more about that after Christmas."

To find out more about the Sanctuary and how you can get involved or offer to help click here.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Gravesend