Neighbourhood officers team up with homelessness charity
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The issue of homelessness is being tackled head on after the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Policing Team partnered up with a charity dedicated to ending homelessness in the town.
Cornerstone Supported Housing and Counselling provides emergency housing and life skills support to vulnerable individuals.
Working hand-in-hand with officers, they conduct regular street outreach patrols with dedicated therapy dog, Bob, to locate rough sleepers and guide them to safety.
The NPT team also actively refer people in crisis, those facing domestic abuse, addiction, or mental health challenges toward Cornerstone’s services which not only safeguards vulnerable people but reduces incidents of crime and associated disorder in the long run.
This partnership blends frontline support with proactive policing, creating a safety net for those most at risk.
The charity also runs joinery workshops where those facing homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges can rediscover purpose and self-worth.
Participants learn practical trades like woodworking and furniture restoration, contributing to the charity’s retail outlets while gaining valuable experience that boosts employment prospects.
And Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen accompanied the team on a visit to Cornerstone last week as it gets ready to open its new Hub in the town.
Volunteers who had previously been helped by the charity took the time to talk about their experiences and of course Bob, England’s first therapy dog dedicated to helping the homeless, stole the show demonstrating how their innovative sleep pods work.
Bob often bridges the gap where humans can’t and even once helped convince a man not to take his own life.
Recent successes in Bishop Auckland also include helping a woman who was made homeless after suffering a serious sexual assault.
When she was discharged from hospital the NPT team put her into the care of Cornerstone who then put her up for a couple of nights while more permanent housing could be found. Without this support she would have been discharged from hospital with nowhere to go.
The team looks forward to the opening of the new hub, in Finkle Street, when the opening day is confirmed.
To find out more about the charity, visit https://cornerstone-north.org/ or find them on social media here www.instagram.com/cornerstonesh