The Ark Homeless Shelter, Birkenhead, is about to expand.

Mar 11 2009 Birkenhead News

WORK will soon begin to extend the Ark's 25-bed hostel in Sandford Street, Birkenhead.

The planned training extension of the homeless shelter will enable the charity to provide better education and training for their residents.

It will provide more space at their centre and give people who have lost their way in life a chance to get back on their feet.

When the Ark team first started raising money for the building work, they needed £290,000.

But now after generous donations and grants, the total amount of money left to raise is £37,000.

Ark worker Bob Jarvis, of Heswall, who decided in his own words ‘‘to stop just praying and start doing’’, said: “We are hopeful we can raise this money over the next few months as we have made more applications for funding.

“We intend to go out to tender this spring so the building work can be done in the summer.

“This is very exciting news for us and we have worked very hard to get where we are.

“The help and generosity of the public is extremely important in helping us achieve our goals.”

The Ark project, which started in 1992, has shown the light to thousands of people who, because of circumstances, found themselves without a home.

Around 58% of their previously homeless residents are now back in the mainstream community.

Bob added: “The work we do is so important.

“This year we have had the coldest December since 2001 and the coldest January since 1997.

“This puts our work with the homeless into sharp focus.

“It is hard sometimes not to get emotionally involved and it is really great when you see the benefits our work is having on people’s lives – without it, Birkenhead would be a poorer place.

“I have realised that the people we deal with are not a breed apart from everyone else – they have just lost their way and something has gone wrong.”

The Ark is supported by many people, churches and societies, with both material and cash donations.

But they are always looking for more support from volunteers and fundraisers.

For more information on the project visit www.wirralark.org.uk.