Path and Transforming Plymouth Together launch “Project 58:7” winter shelter initiative

Plymouth homelessness charity Path has partnered with Christian charity Transforming Plymouth Together (TPT) to launch Project 58:7, a new winter shelter initiative designed to protect people sleeping rough across the city during the coldest months of the year.
Funded by The Rank Foundation, Project 58:7 will see a network of centrally located churches transformed into safe, trauma-informed overnight shelters. The project aims to offer warmth, dignity and practical support to people experiencing rough sleeping, while also providing pathways towards longer-term stability.
The launch comes amid a deepening housing crisis in Plymouth. Affordable accommodation is increasingly scarce, rents continue to rise and homelessness is becoming more visible across the city. Over the past four years there has been a 90 per cent increase in households placed in temporary accommodation, including a 21 per cent rise in families with children. The number of people sleeping rough on any given night has doubled since 2023, according to Plymouth City Council reports.
Many of those affected face complex challenges, often requiring multiple layers of support, including healthcare, safeguarding and mental health services. Women experiencing homelessness are at particular risk, with many remaining hidden in unsafe or temporary situations due to fears of violence and a lack of women-specific provision.
From December through to March, participating churches will host the shelter on a rotating basis. Guests will be referred through established pathways, including the Plymouth Soup Run. On arrival, they will be welcomed by trained volunteers coordinated by TPT, alongside experienced Path support workers responsible for safeguarding and trauma-informed care.
Guests will be offered hot drinks, light refreshments and clean bedding before settling into a calm, safe place to rest. In the mornings, Path’s outreach team will provide specialist support, helping individuals access healthcare, wellbeing hubs, mental health services and housing advice.
Victoria Allen, Path CEO, said:
“We see every day the fear, exhaustion and worsening health that comes from trying to survive on the streets. Project 58:7 is a compassionate and practical response, giving people not only a safe night’s sleep but the chance to stabilise, feel valued, and begin moving forward.”
Laura Fraser-Crewes, CEO of Transforming Plymouth Together, added:
“The project name was inspired by the call of Isaiah 58:7: ‘to give the poor wanderer shelter.’
“Churches across the city want to help, but opening their buildings overnight can feel daunting or risky. Project 58:7 provides the training, structure and professional support they need to do this safely and confidently. This partnership is faith in action, meeting real human need with care, dignity and collaboration.”
The initiative has been endorsed by Plymouth City Council. Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, said:
“I would like to thank everyone involved in Project 58:7. This is another demonstration of the compassion of the people of Plymouth for those who need our help the most.
“With Path’s three decades of frontline experience, combined with TPT’s deep community connections and ability to mobilise churches across Plymouth, the partnership is uniquely placed to deliver a citywide network of safe winter shelters.
“It is great to see this addition to the established partnership working in the Plymouth to support people facing homelessness.”
Together, Path and Transforming Plymouth Together say Project 58:7 aims not only to protect people from the cold this winter, but also to offer genuine opportunities for improved health, stability and long-term change.

Founded in 1995, Path is a registered charity providing homelessness services across Plymouth. Each year it supports more than 1,700 people, accommodates around 350 people each night, and delivers services ranging from rough sleeper outreach to tenancy sustainment and support. Funding comes from a range of sources including Plymouth City Council, the Ministry of Homes, Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice and public donations.
Transforming Plymouth Together was founded in 2015 and works to connect churches with local organisations to address poverty, inequality and social isolation across the city.