Full service resumes at Chippenham charity 12 months after storm washout
Flooding from Storm Bert in November 2024 forced the charity out of the Citadel
A year on from being washed out of its building due to flooding during Storm Bert, a Chippenham charity tells us it's finally able to deliver it's full service to those who rely on it.
Doorway Project, which supports rough sleepers, was forced out of the Citadel in Chippenham Town centre 12 months ago when the River Avon burst its banks, leaving many shops and homes submerged.
It took a painstaking 10 months for the building to dry and be renovated for the organisation to return to the Citadel.
CEO Jon Yates said they were lucky to be able to use another facility in the meantime, but it came at a cost.
"The level of the service we're providing wasn't the normal level. And if you'd said to our team when that happened, we'd still be running in the same way come the following September, I'm not sure they would have been credulous," he said.
The charity finally returned to it's home at the start of October, and Jon said it's made a "significant" difference.
"Everyone's happier and we're not running up and down the hill from our, you know, storage facility in our offices which are upstairs," he told us. "Our guests, who are the reason we exist are much happier. We're much more present in the town."
He added that homelessness is a growing issue in Chippenham, Wiltshire and beyond, saying he's delighted the organisation is able to provide a full service once more.
He told us there's now a "buzz in the room" as the charity provides the first element of comfort for people seeking help.
"They come somewhere dry, they can wash their clothes, they can have a shower, which is what they couldn't do in our other provision over the year. They can have a bite to eat, they can talk to somebody, we can signpost or get other services in.
"It's a very it's very welcoming place."
He said that it was "heart-breaking" for everyone involved that the organisation had been impacted so heavily, with the facility having been decorated just 10 days before the floods hit.
But now they've returned, staff are excited to be able to deliver the personal service clients need.
Jon told us that the store room is full of rough sleeper kits to keep them safe and that kitchen staff are happier, especially now that they have an upgraded cooker to make it more accessible for the volunteers who help out.