A GOODWILL group has been teaming up with businesses and a college in order to provide a day care centre for the homeless in Wrexham.

The Wrexham Rotary Club has been teaming up, primarily with Derwen College, to provide a space where homeless people can “relax and enjoy themselves” by providing food as well as activities.

The day care centre is based on Grosvenor Road at Ty Croeso, and is open Monday and Thursday for two hours a day.

Community Officer for the Wrexham Rotary Club, Jane Wedley, has been speaking to The Leader about where the idea came from and what the day care centre provides for rough sleepers in Wrexham.

“We feel that everybody has a duty to do whatever they can for the homeless in Wrexham no matter what, and with the situation getting worse in recent years, we decided we needed a place where homeless people can come and relax, have a hot meal, and enjoy themselves.

“We have an artist that comes in once a week as well as a hairdresser who comes in to cut their hair.

“We’re hoping to get a computer as well soon, which we think is really important as you need to be online to do almost anything nowadays.

“Wrexham Rotary Club is at the heart of the drive, but we have partnered with students from Derwen College's Penley site, and we’ve been providing them with ingredients to make meals for the homeless that come in, they’ve been really interested and enthusiastic about this project and it’s been fantastic.

“However, over Easter they’re off for four weeks so we were wondering what we would do, and gratefully, the last few weeks Taste of Indian Rhosnesni Lane provided three dishes, rice and chips, to be given out at the day centre free of charge

“The Happy Hedgehog Cafe Caia Park made corn beef hash the other week and are doing meatballs in tomato sauce next week for the day centre as well.

“Rhosnesni High social department has also had talks with me last week regarding helping by possibly holding a coffee morning, clothes sponsor days and asking pupils to bring in old back packs and trainers.”

The students, based at the Ashdale House satellite site, have been taking advantage of their catering and housekeeping skills to prepare meals within the kitchen at the site as part of a Rotary Club project.

The Just50 project brings together volunteers to deliver and serve hot meals to homeless people in the Wrexham area. Food provided by Rotary is delivered to the Derwen College satellite site and then the cooked meals are collected and distributed.

The project asks local businesses to donate £50 per year in order to help fund the food, with every penny donated being invested into ingredients which the students cook for the homeless people in the day care centre.

Miss Wedley added it’s not just food and money that homeless people need, but clothing as well.

“People often overlook the fact that homeless people need more clothing, fresh clothing, clean clothing, not just money or food.

“Part of the message we want to send, and what we’ve also been asking for, is things like underpants, trainers, old sleeping bags and back packs.

“Instead of throwing these things away, homeless people could really use them, so why not donate them to a charity who can give them to someone who will really appreciate it?”

Miss Wedley urged anyone who would like to get involved to contact Wrexham Rotary Club.

“I will admit that when I first started working with homeless people, I was a bit weary, and I think that’s the problem because most people unfortunately feel that way and look at them in that way.

“Since I’ve worked with them though, I’ve talked to them, integrated with them, and you realise that they are exactly the same as everyone else, they’re people, who just want the same things as everyone else.

“The overall purpose of this project is to get as many people involved as possible, to educate them on what they can do to help because everyone in this community can help, we need them to help.

“Trying to talk to homeless people, trying to integrate them with us is the best way to help get them off the streets.

“We can’t just ignore them, they need our help.”