In a joint initiative with St. Vincent de Paul, the Shelter will offer support for up to 25 people each night.Last year’s Cold Weather Shelter supported a total of 107 people. Cork Simonexpects at least a similar number of people in need this year. The Community's Emergency Shelter is full every night; people in need are being turned away purely because there are no beds available.

In September alone,50 people in need of emergency accommodation had to be turned away. The Cork Simon Soup Run is supporting an average of 30 people each night. The need is clear. More than basic shelter The Cold Weather Shelter,run by a team of experienced staff and volunteers, offers peoplesleeping rough a bed in a place that is warm, welcoming and secure each night during the coldest period of the year.

The project also offers vital support,linking people in to the most appropriate homeless service that meets their specific needs. The city centre premises are being made available by Frinailla Developments - a Cork based property development company that is also providing for the necessary alterations and renovations to the building. Frinailla’s Kieran Conway, says he hopes the Cold Weather Shelter will serve to “give some dignity to people; that it will help to save lives”.

Frinailla’s Kieran Conway, says he hopes the Cold Weather Shelter will serve to “give some dignity to people; that it will help to save lives”. This year’s Cold Weather Shelter will cost well over €25,000 to run. While some funding will come from Cork City Council, about three quarters of the cost will have to be met by donations from the business community and general public. Support from businesses like Frinailla is crucial to the project’s success. Frinailla’s Kieran Conway saw at first hand “exactly what it means to be homeless”. He ventured out on Cork Simon’s Soup Run where he says, “It struck me how we take what we have for granted.

Seeing the work that Cork Simon volunteers do on the street convinced me that providing a space for a project like the Cold weather Shelter would undoubtedly help to save lives. I am more than happy”,Kieran says, “to be able to support the work that Cork Simon does in any way that I can.”