Answers to your questions about The Shelter MK

We appreciate you may have more questions than our website can answer, so we’ve tried to cover the ones we’re asked most often.

If you need any further details, get in touch at [email protected]

“Anyone can be homeless. That’s why we treat our guests the same as anyone else, because they’re all individuals.”

Refer

I have seen a homeless person - can you go and see if they are okay?

Unfortunately, we are not an outreach service and don’t have the resources to do this. The best thing to do is contact Street Link. Give them as much information as possible and they’ll contact Milton Keynes City Council’s outreach service who will then try to find the person you’ve described and see how they can help. If you are worried about an immediate threat to life, call 999.

We are not an emergency night shelter. While we welcome guests of all ages and backgrounds, and even pet dogs, every guest has to go through an assessment process to make sure we are the right service to provide help. As a first step, please reach out to us on 01908 429889 or [email protected]  and we’ll come back to you as soon as we can.

We are a small team here at The Shelter MK, working with up to 21 guests. We do our best to respond to any enquiries as quickly as we can, we aim for within two working days.

Donate

Thank you for your support. Please visit our Make a donation page.

There are many ways you can help us, from a one-off donation to raising money for us or giving some of your free time as a volunteer.

Thank you. Take a look at our donations page for more information on how you can give us food.

Thank you for the thought. However, we always buy new bedding for our guests to make them feel special and for hygiene reasons. Perhaps you could buy a gift card to pay for new bedding for a guest.

If you’d like to donate clothes or people experiencing homelessness, please visit our partner MK Storehouse’s website.

Virgin Money has partnered with Ziffit, a free online service on The World of Books website, to sell unwanted books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and games. You can donate the value of what you sell to The Shelter MK by simply choosing our charity from the partner list when you check out.

We’re so sorry. Due to hygiene regulations we’re unable to accept donated leftovers or any perishable food.

Fundraise

Thank you – that’s great news! You can set up a fundraiser page for us on JustGiving  and select or type the specific amount you would like to donate to our charity.

You can then choose to add your name and a message to our team or let us know if you’re making a corporate donation.

Don’t forget to add gift aid if you are an eligible UK Taxpayer. We will receive 25% more at no extra cost to you.

Need inspiration? We have lots of fundraising ideas.

Volunteer

Thanks so much for your support. Here are all the ways you can volunteer with us.

Where to next?

Support Us

We need your help so we can give our guests the support they need to get back on their feet and take steps towards turning their lives around.

Get Help

If you’re currently experiencing homelessness and need help, or you’d like to refer another person to The Shelter MK, reach out to us here.

Volunteer for us

We welcome volunteers with a wide range of backgrounds, especially if you’re interested in cooking hot meals, DIY or admin.

Hear our guests’ stories

A customs clerk, a retired dentist, a courier and a father. Hear how we’ve made a difference and helped these guests and former guests change their lives for the better.

* Names have been changed to protect our guests’ identity