To our wonderful volunteers

 

The Bendigo Winter Night Shelter (BWNS) continues its work over Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

 

We won't be issuing these emails as frequently as we did when the Shelter was in operation. However once a month we will provide an update on BWNS activities.

 

1. Bendigo Magazine Article

 

This week the latest issue of Bendigo Magazine will be available.  Please look for the article about BWNS and our guests.

 

Bendigo Magazine have profiled our guests with beautiful photography.  You may see some of the guests you got to know over winter 2025.

 

2.Shower Truck

 

One of the amazing developments this year is that BWNS will be offering some services all through the year.  One of those services is a showertruck.

 

Please email our wonderful Volunteer Co-ordinator, Daryl Lynch (daryl.lynch@bwns.org.au) if you would like to be part of volunteering on the shower truck. 

 

3.Post Shelter Feelings

 

Stable One is running a “bonus” Alongsider Virtual Training session on the evening of Thursday 30 October.

David Wilson will be leading a discussion about navigating some of the more difficult post-shelter feelings. He’ll also share a Christian perspective on the nature of our work – recognising that while we can support many people, we can’t always help everyone we meet.

Please email katherine@stableone.org to receive a Zoom link.

4.Not as many shifts as you would have liked

A few volunteers have reached out and, while very happy with their volunteering, were disappointed they received less shifts then they would have liked.

We are sorry any volunteer got fewer shifts than they would have liked.  Likely this was the result of Elvanto which made rostering at times more complicated then it needed to be. We are in the process of replacing Elvanto,

5.Annual General Meeting: 26 November

Please note the BWNS Annual General Meeting will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 26 November at Holy Trinity, Flora Hill 

 6. Making a big difference: ‘One Thousand and Two Thousand’

 When your friends and family ask you what you have been doing this winter please say “One Thousand + Two Thousand’ i.e. you have contributed to an organisation that provided 1000 total nightly stays and 2000 meals to the most vulnerable in our community.

We all together operated the Shelter from 1 June 2025 until 14 September 2025 continuously for 105 days and achieved the following:

• 1000 total guest stays keeping vulnerable people out of the cold winter

• 2000 total meals provided

• 54 different registered guests using the Shelter over winter
• 430 volunteers – 330 on site at Koolamurt and at least 100 cooks from the churches
• 5 guests have found permanent accommodation through connections made at the Shelter

• 3 guests have found fulltime or temporary employment 

• 6 guests have received car service/repairs through connections made at the Shelter

 2025 has been a breakthrough year for BWNS with a series of ‘firsts’:

• we have operated for the longest period ever – we extended our season for the first time until 14 September (normally finished 31 August)
• operating 7 days a week for the first time in years
• largest number of guests and total stays ever
• largest number of volunteers ever

BWNS couldn’t have achieved all this without you

 7. Closing quote
 
“Goodwill is the mightiest practical force in the universe” Charles F.Dole
 
Thanks again for volunteering.
 
Daryl Lynch – Volunteer Co-ordinator
Chris Dalton - Chairperson