Our neighbourhoods team volunteer at hostel for rough sleepers in Somerset

This month our Somerset neighbourhoods team used a day's paid leave to volunteer at the Dairy House near Stratton-on-the-Fosse in Somerset. 

The Dairy House works in Partnership with Mendip District Council to provide the only direct access accommodation – where rough sleepers in Mendip can contact the centre directly to seek help. 

The team split up and prepared lunch, had a go at some pottery and did a spot of gardening in the polytunnel, where the residents grow their own fruit, veg and flowers to sell in some of the local communities.

One of our volunteers shared;  "Volunteering at the Dairy House was a real eye opener to the struggles that people with addiction and homelessness face. It was brilliant to see how the residents were completely turning their lives around with the support of compassionate staff. A few residents shared their stories, it was so sad to hear what they had been through but also very heartening to hear how the Dairy House is making such a positive impact."