What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 2pm Tuesday 9:30am - 2pm Wednesday 9:30am - 2pm Thursday 9:30am - 2pm Friday 9:30am - 2pm

SMART CJS

Our Charity provides safe spaces and support for a wide range of people who, for all sorts of reasons are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Our teams empower people to improve their situation and live the life they want to lead SMART is proud to run the Prebend Day Centre. We offer support and services for vulnerable individuals facing homelessness or who are currently homeless or rough sleeping. The Centre is open to adults needing support 365 days of the year.

01/09/2026

Where to find support in Bedford.

As we prepare to close, we want to make sure people know where they can continue to access support.

The Pavement Project support people experiencing homelessness and those in temporary accommodation. No referral is needed.
They provide food, drinks, clothing, toiletries and other essentials on selected Sundays, Bank Holiday Mondays and Boxing Day.

Bedford Foodbank provide 3 to 5 days of emergency food for people experiencing food poverty in Bedford Borough. A Foodbank voucher code is required.

📞 01234 268569
📧 [email protected]
🌐 https://bedford.foodbank.org.uk/

HopeWorks support people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or struggling to maintain their housing. Their Outreach team can provide practical help including food, clothing, shower and laundry facilities, as well as support with housing, benefits, health appointments and accessing other local services. You can visit 58 Harpur Street, Bedford, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Amicus Trust support people experiencing homelessness with accommodation and ongoing support to help them move towards independent living, including support with wellbeing, life skills and employment.

👉 Find out more about Amicus Trust and how to access support:
https://www.amicustrust.org/resident-services

Please save and share this information with anyone who may need support.

26/08/2026

Dignity has always been at the heart of the Prebend Centre.

In the years where shower totals were published in our Impact Reports, at least 7,512 showers were facilitated: 2,024 in 2018, 2,010 in 2019, 2,860 in 2024 and 618 in 2025–26.

Thank you to everyone who made sure practical support like a hot shower, clean clothing and somewhere welcoming to go remained available to people who needed it.

25/08/2026

Across the years where our reports published meal figures, the Prebend Centre served more than 81,342 breakfasts, lunches and hot meals.

That includes more than 20,894 meals in 2018, more than 33,210 in 2019, 6,991 in 2022, 5,241 in 2023, 7,280 in 2024 and 7,726 in 2025–26.

Thank you to the staff and volunteers who cooked, prepared and served them, and to the supporters, donors and funders who helped keep the kitchen stocked and the doors open.

24/08/2026

As SMART prepares to close, we want to spend some time celebrating what this charity, this community and the people behind it have achieved.

Across the years where our Impact Reports published a Prebend Centre visit total, 50,121 visits were recorded: 10,981 in 2018, 20,075 in 2019, 7,034 in 2022, 4,614 in 2023 and 7,417 in 2025–26.

Behind those visits were meals, showers, advice, healthcare, housing support and conversations.

Thank you to every member of staff and every volunteer who welcomed people through the door, and to every donor, funder, business, school, faith group and community supporter who helped make that possible.

11/08/2026

It is with real sadness that we announce the SMART Prebend Centre will close at the end of Thursday 1 October 2026. This has been an extremely difficult decision and one we have not taken lightly.

We have made this decision in line with our commissioned services transferring to Bedford Borough Council. We are pleased that most of the SMART team will also transfer, continuing to work with the people we currently support and providing vital continuity and familiar faces.

Prebend is an amazing service that supports so many people. However, securing the long term funding needed to sustain it has become increasingly difficult, particularly as local funding priorities have changed. We have watched day centres across the country close and felt the pain of those charities. It is deeply upsetting to now find ourselves in the same position.

Until our final day, we will remain focused on the people we support. We will help them move into Bedford Borough Council’s redesigned pathway and ensure that everyone using Prebend receives clear information, practical support, and signposting to trusted partners.

Prebend has never been a standalone service. Everything we have achieved has been made possible by our staff, volunteers, and external partners, who brought the Centre to life every day.

We want to thank all the partners, churches, schools, community groups, local businesses, and members of the Bedford community who have supported SMART. Your continued support, especially during this difficult time of transition, means a great deal to us and to the people we support. It has helped us to keep delivering vital services and to navigate this period of change with care and dignity. Without you, the Centre could not have remained open for as long as it has or achieved such positive outcomes for so many people.

As we approach the final chapter of Prebend, we do so with deep appreciation for everything it has represented and the difference it has made in so many lives.

10/08/2026

A heartfelt thank you to SEVA Trust UK for once again supporting SMART with a generous food donation last week. ❤️

SEVA Trust UK have supported us on many occasions, and their continued kindness and generosity has made a real difference to the people who use our services.

We are incredibly grateful for everything they have done to help us provide food, essentials and practical support to people in need across our community.

Thank you for continuing to stand alongside SMART and the people we support. 🙏

03/08/2026

We are proud to share SMART’s 2025–2026 Impact Report (link in the comments), showing the difference our staff, volunteers, partners and supporters have made for people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping, insecure housing and hardship across Bedford.

During the year, the Prebend Centre welcomed people through its doors 7,417 times. Our team served 7,726 breakfasts and lunches, facilitated 618 showers, provided 488 food bank vouchers and supported access to hundreds of healthcare appointments. Our new day beds were also used 193 times, providing a safe, warm and supervised place for people who had nowhere else to rest.

Across our wider services, 61 people were provided with emergency accommodation, 81 people moved into more suitable longer-term housing, and Kate’s Place supported 42 women, including women who were not previously engaging with mainstream services.

These figures represent much more than numbers. Behind each one is a person who found a meal, safety, healthcare, practical support, a trusted conversation or a route towards a more stable future.

None of this work would have been possible without you.

Whether you donated, volunteered, fundraised, partnered with us, shared our message or simply stood alongside SMART, you helped ensure that people in our community had somewhere safe and trusted to turn.

Thank you for standing with us and believing in the work we do.

28/07/2026

🏠 A new national drive to end rough sleeping...

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced an urgent national effort to end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity, backed by an additional £340 million and what the government describes as record levels of investment.

The initial funding will support:

The delivery of 1,200 homes
Intensive support for at least 3,000 people experiencing the most severe and long-term homelessness
The acquisition of suitable homes and the identification of those most in need
Joint working between councils, mayors, the NHS, public services and government departments
Urgent action to support vulnerable people before winter

This represents the first phase of a wider five-year programme, with further measures expected to be announced before the autumn.

The financial case for preventing homelessness is also clear. Research cited by the government estimates that one year of rough sleeping costs public services approximately £20,128 per person, compared with just £1,426 for a successful homelessness prevention intervention.

The announcement recognises that rough sleeping is not inevitable. The response to homelessness during the pandemic demonstrated what can be achieved when national and local government, housing providers, health services and charities work together with sufficient resources and shared determination.

At SMART CJS, we see every day why early intervention, secure housing and ongoing person-centred support must go hand in hand. A home is an essential starting point, but people must also be able to access the practical, health and emotional support they need to recover, rebuild their lives and sustain their accommodation.

We welcome the ambition to bring back hope and ensure that no one is left behind. The real measure of this commitment will be how quickly the investment reaches communities and whether local homelessness and prevention services receive the long-term support needed to turn this promise into lasting change.

25/07/2026

🧠 See the person, not the diagnosis.

Today, 25 July, is National Schizophrenia Awareness Day: an opportunity to challenge the fear, misinformation and stigma that still surround one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions.

Schizophrenia affects around 1 in every 100 people, while approximately 23 million people worldwide are living with the condition.

It can affect how a person thinks, feels, behaves and experiences the world. Some people may experience hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, difficulty expressing emotions or withdrawal from everyday activities. However, every person’s experience is different.

It is important to challenge some of the harmful myths that continue to cause fear and discrimination:

❌ Schizophrenia does not mean someone has a “split personality”.
❌ A diagnosis does not mean someone is dangerous. People living with schizophrenia are more likely to experience harm, stigma and discrimination than to cause harm to others.
❌ Schizophrenia does not prevent someone from having relationships, working, enjoying hobbies or living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

With early intervention, appropriate treatment and consistent support, people can manage their symptoms, recover and achieve the things that matter to them.

For people experiencing homelessness, accessing that support can be particularly difficult. Without a safe place to live, it can be harder to keep appointments, manage medication and maintain consistent contact with mental health services.

A recent government survey of 966 people who had slept rough found that 800 reported a mental health need, yet only 44% of those with mental health needs had received treatment during the previous year.

At SMART, we believe that nobody should be reduced to a diagnosis or defined by the most difficult period of their life. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, listened to without judgement and supported as a whole person.

This National Schizophrenia Awareness Day, we can all help challenge stigma by learning the facts, questioning harmful stereotypes and choosing compassion over assumption.

See the person. Hear their story. Challenge the stigma.

If you or someone you know needs urgent mental health support in England, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. In an immediate emergency, call 999.

22/07/2026

🧠 Brain health should be accessible to everyone.

Today is World Brain Day, and this year’s theme is Brain Health: Access for All.

More than 3.4 billion people - over 42% of the global population, are living with a neurological condition. Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of disability and ill health worldwide, making better access to care an urgent global priority.

For people who are sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness, accessing healthcare can be even more difficult. Keeping appointments, managing medication and navigating complex services can all become challenging without safety, stability or consistent support.

Recent government research found that 83% of people surveyed who had slept rough during the previous year reported a mental health need. However, only 44% of those with a mental health need had received treatment during that year.

At SMART, we believe that someone’s housing situation should never prevent them from receiving the care they need.

That is why accessible, community-based healthcare matters. By bringing services closer to people and working alongside health and community partners, we can help remove barriers and support people to receive help earlier.

Brain health is for everyone, and access should be too.

World Brain Day 2026 logo: World Federation of Neurology, via the official World Brain Day Media Toolkit.

Address

Bedford

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 2pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 2pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 2pm
Thursday	9:30am - 2pm
Friday	9:30am - 2pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/smartcjs

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