A charity that helps homeless people and rough sleepers has won permission to set up a support centre in Reading.
The Way Ministry is a Christian organisation which supports people who are homeless, vulnerable or at risk of becoming homeless, and who need help to get back on their feet.
The charity has recently won approval to convert the Cattle Market Cafe in Great Knollys Street into a support centre.
The project involves the cafe being repurposed to provide 27 seats, a toilet, a shower and a kitchen for a food bank.
The support centre will be located near the existing base of the charity at the Fairview Community Centre, 90B Great Knollys Street.
Explaining what will happen, Grace Gomez, chairperson and founder of The Way Ministry said: “It’s a change of use for a community support and wellbeing drop-in centre.
“We’re going to launch a support hub for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
“We’ll also be able to run The Way Ministry Reading weekly free food bank from there too. Praise God in heaven.
“We need to negotiate the lease with Reading Borough Council, then we can raise funds and get the building open.”
You can donate to assist the activities of the charity on The Way Ministry website.
Mrs Gomez has been campaigning to secure an empty building to provide a permanent night shelter for homeless people
She said: “Tonight, around 43 people are expected to sleep rough on the streets of Reading. Every number is a person in need of warmth, safety, and hope.
“The Way Ministry Reading is a local charity dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and financial hardship in our community.
“We are urgently looking for an empty building or warehouse that can be converted into a night shelter for those who have nowhere safe to sleep.
“A safe bed can change a life. Your empty space could become a place of refuge, recovery, and a brighter tomorrow.”
A testimonial from a client stated: “I thought I was going to freeze to death.
“It’s not just a bed, it’s a place to recharge while you navigate life off the streets.
“I started to get suicidal thoughts, I wanted to give up.
“For me the only thing that kept me going were the thoughts of my kids.”
Mrs Gomez added: “If you own or know of a suitable building in Reading, please get in touch.”
You can contact the charity by emailing thewayministryreading@gmail.com.
The approved application to convert the Cattle Market Cafe can be found by typing reference PL/26/0315 into the council’s planning portal.
