NOAH, in partnership with Luton Borough Council, Midshires Search and Rescue Organisation and the St John´s Ambulance Service, operated the service from the Park Town Community Centre, just a short walk from NOAH´s Welfare Centre on Park Street. Hot drinks and warm meals were available as well as safe and comfortable sleeping arrangements. Breakfast and follow–up support was also available each morning at the NOAH Welfare Centre.

The Shelter was originally due to operate on Friday 18th – Sunday 20th December when temperatures were forecast at 0° or below, but was extended until 23rd December and again from 31st December through to 8th January due to consistently cold conditions. It follows on from the success of last year´s Shelter, also instigated and operated by NOAH and used by over 20 people.

In addition to the festive carol singing, they also performed a song about NOAH´s work, written as part of a competition held during the Giant Sleepout in November.

The NOAH Song (performed to the tune of Frere Jacques):

NOAH, NOAH. NOAH, NOAH.
They need you. They need you.
Come and help the homeless. Come and help the homeless.
Feel good too. Feel good too.
NOAH, NOAH. NOAH, NOAH.
They need food. They need food.
Give a small donation. Give a small donation.
Feel good too. Feel good too.
NOAH, NOAH. NOAH, NOAH.
They need shoes. They need shoes.
Come and give some clothing. Come and give some clothing.
Feel good too. Feel good too.

The event was very well received by all and raised £130 in donations.

Along with raising much needed funds for NOAH, the sleepover gave the young volunteers a chance to experience a little of what it might feel like to sleep rough for the night. There were also plenty of opportunities to learn more about NOAH´s work through a range of activities including jingle writing and NOAH-themed artwork. The winning jingle will be performed at our Christmas Carol Concert in the Mall Luton (17th December) whilst our two favourite drawings will feature in our 2009 Christmas Thank You advert and Christmas card (see below).

Jim O´Connor from NOAH Enterprise said: "Yet again it was a terrific event – the children always enter into the spirit of the evening whole heartedly. And not only does it raise valuable funds, but it also helps them to understand the plight of homeless people in their home town."

Sue Hunt, division commissioner, Girlguiding Luton South Division, said: "The children had a fantastic time – not only did they enjoy sleeping in The Mall with their friends but they also learned a great deal about the issues faced by the homeless and the work that NOAH Enterprise do."

The event was organised by the Mall Luton who have once again adopted NOAH as their chosen charity of the year.

The improvements include new registration procedures at the Chapel Street Walk-In Centre allowing homeless patients to register for a GP, and a streamlined Mental Health Service assessment and referral process.

Improved access to health and social care services forms one of the Government´s 15 points on their action plan to end rough sleeping and homelessness. Good access to GP and mental health services reduce pressure on other NHS services and are often the first step towards greater health, stability and independence.

People living on the streets or in poor quality temporary accommodation are more likely to experience health problems but less likely to have good access to medical services. NOAH is now able to issue referral letters to allow clients with no fixed address to register with a GP at the Chapel Street NHS Walk-In Centre. This allows them to drop in without an appointment and access advice, assessment and treatment for minor ailments and injuries.

Homeless people are also more likely to suffer from mental health problems, an estimated 30 – 50% of all homeless people in the UK have mental health problems compared with just 10 – 25 % of the general population. NOAH is now working with a Community Psychiatric Nurse to streamline the assessment and referral process for NOAH Service Users. Assessments can take place at the NOAH Day Centre, at hostels or even out on the street.

GP Peter Ward says “In negotiating the contract for the GP Town Centre Practice at the NHS Walk in Centre I stressed that the unit would have to be all inclusive and have no rules nor barriers to prevent the Homeless and Hard to Reach patients from registering and receiving their full entitlement to Primary Care and then ongoing referral to Secondary Care where appropriate. This means that they can be followed up, and with the help of NOAH, have continuity in their care. This is an enormous step forward and a relatively unique venture. I hope as many as possible will avail themselves of the service”.

The garden represents a pathway through homelessness and towards the realisation of personal potential. The garden's message is the unlocking of potential; a symbolic path made up of thousands of old keys further reinforces this message. A video from project leaders The Eden Project explains the garden in greater detail:

Chief executive Jim O'Connor said: "Being asked to take part in an event as prestigious as the Chelsea Flower Show was, we thought, amazing but to win a silver medal for the project we were involved in is almost beyond words."

The award-winning garden was a unique collaboration between five separate groups - the Eden Project, Homes & Communities Agency, Communities and Local Government, Homeless Link and the London Employer Accord. All the materials used are from recycled or sustainable resources which will be broken down and re-used after the show.

You can find out more about the garden at the Key Garden blog, Eden website Key garden photo gallery and Architecture sans Frontières-UK website.

Streetwise Opera run a weekly music programme at NOAH and 10 other homeless centres throughout the UK, using music as a tool to help homeless people move forward in their lives. Through July and August 2008 the composer Mira Calix and the video artists Flat-e worked with all the groups to create My Secret Heart.

NOAH client and My Secret Heart performer 'Tommy' Thompson said simply "It was a magic night, very special". The other five NOAH performers; Lorraine Major, Phil O'Shea, John 'Cutty' Smith, Robert O'Rourke and Tim Foley all agreed with Tommy, adding that they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The Royal Philharmonic Society described the performance as "A work of the highest quality from a company engaging with profound issues, Streetwise Opera's My Secret Heart drew audiences to three multi-media performances involving 100 homeless participants. Imaginative viral and press marketing continues to build and inspire new audiences as a film and music version tours 40 venues and festivals worldwide".

The Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards are the most prestigious accolade for live classical music-making in the United Kingdom. The Audience Development Award was hosted in partnership with Classic FM.

In a surprisingly relaxed and informal visit, Kevin spoke to three NOAH clients whose lives have been turned around with help from NOAH. Kevin also paid a visit to the Welfare Centre where, having heard lots about NOAH's Adults Facing Chronic Exclusion (ACE) project prior to his visit, he particularly enjoyed the experience of seeing the project in action.

NOAH Chief Executive Jim O'Connor said "everyone involved in this visit was charmed by Kevin's friendly manner and genuine interest in the work undertaken by NOAH. We hope he will return to Westminster with a deeper understanding of the power and impact of Third Sector organisations such as NOAH".

Understanding wasn't the only thing Kevin returned to London with. On a tour of the NOAH white goods refurbishment area a fridge-freezer prompted him to reach for his cheque book and now has proud residence in his kitchen.