As well as providing basic needs like shelter, warm meals, tea and coffee and showers for people affected by homelessness, our Drop-in Centre on Townsend Street is a support hub for the most vulnerable and at-risk people in our city.

It is a safe and welcoming place for homeless people to receive respite, socialisation, assessment and support.

Our team of amazing support workers work tirelessly every day, 365 days a year, to ensure the people who use the service have the best possible chance of getting the life-saving support they need.

Here’s an example:

In the first three months of 2024 570 people used to Drop-in Centre:

• 312 were supported to access temporary accommodation 2,004 times
• 110 were supported to access relevant welfare/benefits/finance a total of 244 times
• 131 were supported to manage their physical/mental health a total of 253 times
• 62 were supported to access addiction services a total of 184 times
• All our Support Workers are trained in administering potentially life-saving injections of Naloxone to people suffering the effects on a drug overdose.

This is life-saving and life-changing work happening on daily basis and we commend our amazing teams – not just in the Drop-in Centre but across our range of services – Street Outreach, Crisis Accommodation for Women, Catherine House, Floating Support and our Mobile Health Unit.

​

Homeless Heath Hub

​

In May 2019 the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust opened a new Homeless Health Hub next to The Welcome Organisation's Drop-in Centre. 

​

The aim of the hub is to bring services out of the clinic setting and into the community and on to the streets, to wrap care around the people who need it most, where they need it. This includes physical and mental health care and addictions services for those sleeping rough or in hostel accommodation.

​

Because of the existing close partnership working between The Welcome Organisation and the Trust and the fact that they work with the same cohort of service users, a new base at The Welcome Organisation is an ideal location for the Health Hub.