It Takes A City (Cambridge)

We are a Cambridge homelessness partnership that works with some of the city's most disadvantaged rough sleepers and others who are vulnerably housed. We run Crossways, our winter emergency accommodation project in Chesterton, from November to April every year, working in partnership with Cambridge Churches Homeless Project, who support the project with additional resources to purchase food and provision of a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator to work with all members of the Crossways volunteer team. Crossways volunteers are a diverse group, reflecting all sectors of Cambridge society (aged 18+ due to the nature of the project). There are volunteer roles that do not require specific skills, qualifications, or experience. ‘Helping at Crossways was a great experience for me. It was a great way to get out of the student bubble and really opened my eyes to how communities can come together to support those who need it most.’ —M (Student). Other roles, such as our Lead Cooks (who will be expected to hold or willing to gain a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate) where we are looking for people with confidence and the ability to direct less experienced members of the team. Ideally, volunteers should be able to commit time to the project on a regular basis such as weekly, fortnightly, or monthly and over the entire period that the project runs, but we are happy to discuss this with individuals.