Venetia house opens - A women-only facility

28th June 2022

We are excited and delighted to have delivered our latest project - Venetia house - a women-only facility.

Opened officially today by Lady Dalton, Venetia house is a 21-bed facility providing a safe and supportive accommodation for homeless and vulnerable women where they can work on finding and nurturing their strengths.

The facility has been named in recognition of a former service user well known to the Trust as a long-term advocate of specific provision for disadvantaged women.

Until now, aside from short-stay accommodation at Women's Refuge there had not been a women-only provision for those needing help and support.

The new facility will be managed by Tessa Purvis who has worked for The Shelter Trust for over 20 years. The former hotel has been completely renovated and will give women access to a range of services including health and social care, counselling and trauma informed support.

Neville Benbow, Chairman of The Shelter Trust, added: “There has been a pressing need for a dedicated service for homeless and socially excluded women and this new initiative aims to address that gap in the market".