Supporting night shelter part of homeless action Barnet

GoodGym Community Mission: Night-Shelter Sleepover Support at St Mary’s

What we’re doing We’re supporting the Winter Night Shelter run by Homeless Action in Barnet (HAB), now delivered in partnership with local faith groups. St Mary’s Church Hall is one of the venues providing a safe, warm space for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough. It’s an impressive operation run almost entirely by volunteers from the local community.

The task We’re looking for GoodGym volunteers to help with the overnight sleepover shift. You’ll arrive at 8:30pm at St Mary’s Church Hall, meet the shelter team, and settle in as guests finish their evening meal and begin bedding down for the night. Once things are calm, your role is simply to be present, help keep a reassuring, supportive atmosphere, and assist the lead volunteers if needed.

After breakfast in the morning, volunteers help guests pack up, clear away the bedding, and prepare the hall before they move on to the next shelter venue.

Why it matters A night indoors, a warm meal, and a safe place to sleep make an enormous difference to people who are currently facing homelessness. The shelter relies heavily on volunteers to function — without overnight cover, the whole service becomes impossible to run. Your support enables HAB and the faith community to keep this vital lifeline open throughout the winter.

Other opportunities For those interested, there are also occasional chances to help with evening meals or breakfast service, but this listing is specifically for the overnight shift.

Timings 🕣 Arrival: 8:30pm 🛏️ Sleepover shift: Overnight ☕ Morning finish: After breakfast and pack-down (usually early morning)

What to bring • Warm layers • A sleeping bag and mat.