Our vision is to transform lives, inspire hope and end homelessness and our mission is to help break the cycle of homelessness by enabling people to rebuild their lives.
The Winchester Beacon is a registered charity based in the centre of Winchester, Hampshire, and a Company limited by guarantee. We have been helping those experiencing homelessness since 1988 and supporting over 100 people every year. We operate another three offsite properties, all with staff support as and when required.
We provide emergency accommodation all year round along with tailored one-to-one support to people over the age of 18 from the Hampshire area who are experiencing homelessness. Prior to the pandemic we operated with 17 bed spaces located across 10 bedrooms. Since March 2020, we have reduced the beds to one per room which means we now accommodate 10 people. We have a further 12 beds at three ‘moving on’ properties which provide residents with a stepping stone to independent living. Since the start of lockdown, we have become a 24-hour service so that our residents can stay safe on site all day and night. Wrap around support is available to each resident with a person-centred approach to help individuals to take their own steps towards a more secure future.
The average length of stay is 146 nights with residents staying with us until they feel ready to move on and we have helped them to find a suitable place to live. Our support continues after they have left with regular contact to ensure that all are able to sustain their tenancy. We offer all forms of support, including counselling, psychotherapy, as well as trauma informed care based on the strength of the individual.
