Hackney Night Shelter

10/07/2026

This week at the shelter we've welcomed some new guests while others have moved on positively to settled housing. One of them was a 36-year-old woman who was at risk of rough sleeping after she lost her housing. While staying at the shelter she was able to continue working full time at a nursery, save up for a deposit and secure a private rented place within a couple of weeks. She moved into her new home today and said of the shelter, "I appreciate the time that I stayed here".

☀️ As the heatwave continues and the Amber alert is expected to remain until Sunday evening, make sure to check in on people around you, especially people sleeping rough who are at much greater risk in the heat. Look out for the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke below and swipe for info about support available in Hackney. 

Check with your local council's provision or contact Streetlink- for those in Hackney needing support with housing, you can contact The Greenhouse 0203 664 9559 or in person at 19 Tudor Road, E9 7SN (Buses 26, 48, 55, 106 and 254 all stop nearby). You can find cool spaces at The Mildmay Community Centre, Woodville Road, N16 8NA. The Bath House, 80 East Way, E9 5JH. Hackney Central library and Homerton library. You can fill up a bottle of water for free at lots of places in Hackney using a water refill station - swipe for the full list. 

Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion can quickly develop into heat stroke if untreated.

Symptoms include:

Feeling confused

No sweating

Temperature over

40c, hot, dry skin

Nausea or

vomiting

Loss of

consciousness

Convulsions or

Seizures

Know the symptoms of heatstroke

If you or someone else have symptoms of heat stroke call 999 immediately.

Symptoms include:

Feeling faint or

dizzy

Excessive

sweating

Clammy skin

Nausea of

vomiting

Muscle cramps

07/07/2026

Some delicious recent meals at the shelter cooked by one of our lovely volunteer cooks, Bella! 🍽

02/07/2026

Shelter update 👋 over the past week we've welcomed some new guests. One of them was a 27-year-old who had been rough sleeping in Hammersmith before coming to the shelter. And four more guests moved on to settled accommodation.

We've also had some new people joining our fabulous volunteering team on their first shifts at the shelter this week. If you'd like to get involved drop us a message or email [email protected]

26/06/2026

There's still time to apply to join us as a Trustee and help shape the future of Hackney Night Shelter - closing 30 June 2026 👇

We're looking for new Trustees! Join Us as a Trustee and Help Shape the Future of Hackney Night Shelter. A rewarding chance to help create real routes out of homelessness in Hackney.
For nearly 30 years, Hackney Night Shelter (HNS) has worked alongside the local community to provide emergency accommodation and structured support for people experiencing homelessness. Today, we are proud of our strong foundations, our dedicated team, and the positive impact we continue to make.
We are now looking for three new Trustees to help strengthen and grow our Board as we expand our reach and deepen our impact.
Could this be you?
If you want to make a meaningful difference locally and use your skills to support a charity with a clear mission and strong momentum, we would love to hear from you.
We welcome applicants of all ages and backgrounds and are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of our community.
We are especially keen to hear from people who bring:
💙 A deep understanding of homelessness, either through lived experience or frontline work.
💙 Expertise in finance, fundraising, HR, safeguarding or legal/administrative services
Whether you’re an experienced trustee or stepping onto a Board for the first time, your perspective and commitment matter.
What’s involved
The Board meets quarterly with the Charity Director. Between meetings, trustees contribute to working groups such as finance, fundraising, premises or governance.
Time commitment: around 1–2 days per quarter
For more information please see the Trustee Role description and how to apply on the Hackney Doorways website: https://www.hackneydoorways.org.uk/pages/job-vacancies-
Closing date: 30 June 2026

Trustee Opportunity A rewarding chance to help create real routes out of homelessness in Hackney.For nearly 30 years, Hackney Night Shelter (HNS) has worked alongside the local community to provide emergency accommodation and structured support for people experiencing homelessness. Today, we are pro...

26/06/2026

Some shelter news from this week (other than trying to stay cool in the heatwave!🌡)... five guests moved on positively to longer-term accommodation. M, a 20-year-old man had been struggling to find suitable housing he could afford since leaving care and was rough sleeping in Victoria station. Recent years have shown a sharp increase in cases like M's with more than 1 in 10 care leavers facing or at risk of homelessness often because of gaps in support after leaving care. According to Coram, 31% of care leavers feel that where they live is not right for them; more than a third don't always feel safe and almost half don't always feel settled where they live.  

The good news this wasn't the end of his story. M stayed at Hackney Night Shelter for a few weeks, receiving assistance with housing options and moved on this week to supported accommodation. We wish him well at his new place 🏠

23/06/2026

Ways you can support people facing homelessness during the extreme heat:
📞If someone is sleeping rough and needs support contact Streetlink. If they are based in Hackney contact 0203 664 9559
Or go to the Greenhouse Walk In Centre (Mon-Fri) 19 Tudor Road, London, E9 7SN
❄️ Cool spaces in Hackney
The CoHub Hackney
All Hackney libraries
Colville Estate Community Centre
Mildmay Community Centre
the bath house
Search cool spaces for a full map. 

⚠️ Danger symptons to look out for:
feeling faint and dizzy,
short of breath, vomiting or increasing confusion
Contact 999 immediately if you suspect someone has heatstroke

💧Help us fund a water cooler to provide shelter guests with cold water (donate via link in bio)

Also check out other organisations providing support like Museum of HomelessnessJon Glackin London Homeless Welfare Team

19/06/2026

Things are busy at the shelter this week! As always, we have our wonderful rotation of volunteers coming every day, and making sure everyone’s fed a delicious meal every night.

We’ve had a few positive move ons this week including a young Eritrean man who had been rough sleeping at King’s Cross Station and on night busses. Around the time he came to the shelter he started a new job working as a Healthcare Assistant. He stayed with us for just a couple of weeks before moving on positively to supported accommodation. He said ‘I really felt at home with the kind of company of wonderful people. It was more than I expected…the best place to get back on my feet again’. We’re very happy he’s back on his feet and wish him all the best with his new home and career.

17/06/2026

Taking a break to get into the football spirit ⚽️ The World Cup is always always on, and always exciting here at the shelter!

16/06/2026

It was great to share a field with our Hackney neighbours at Well Street Common this weekend. Thanks to the help of our wonderful volunteers we were able to sell some homemade cakes, raise some funds and share the story of the shelter. Thanks if you came by! ☀️

15/06/2026

Thanks to everyone who came along to the 4th edition of our poetry night at hosted by and helped raise £560 for Hackney Night Shelter 🙌