Want the best Nottingham news by 9am every day? Sign up to our newsletter! Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A family engineering business has donated £4,000 to help fund more than five months of shelter for homeless people across Nottingham.

Swiftool Precision Engineering presented the cheque to homelessness charity Emmanuel House, which operates a night shelter where rough sleepers can seek shelter and support.

The night shelter opened on April 8 this year and has offered thousands of bed spaces since its inception, which came off the back of funding from the Government's 'Rapid Rehousing Pathway'.

An average of 30 people have been found sleeping on the streets in Nottingham so far in November, down from 46 in October.

A man, who was believed to have been sleeping rough, died after being found in an alleyway next to the Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, November 18.

To help provide a continuous supply of beds for a charity which runs entirely off grants and donations, more than 100 staff members from the Huthwaite-based company raised £850 in a raffle and charity quiz.

Stuart and Sam Handley, the company's directors, raised a further £3,150 by donating some of Swiftool's end-of-year profits.

"To be able to fund one week’s worth of beds, hot food, drinks, laundry facilities and crucially, the specialised support for guests from the staff team, for the winter shelter in Nottingham is a genuine privilege," Mr Handley said.

"As a family run engineering business employing 125 people in North Nottinghamshire we take our responsibility to the local area, employment levels and disadvantaged communities extremely seriously."

In just 16 weeks after the night shelter opened, Emmanuel House support workers managed to help 21 people into long-term accommodation.

But the shelter has been full every single night.

Every four weeks the venue moves, with a 12-hour operation taking place to move equipment such as beds and clothing to places such as St Saviour's Church, Thomas Helwys and the Portland Leisure Centre.

Stuart's wife, Sam, added: "Our business is based in an area of the country that has some of the lowest attainment levels and highest levels of disadvantaged people in the UK.

(Image: Emmanuel House)

"Homeless people who are desperately trying to seek employment or are trying hard to hold down a job with nowhere to sleep can access the Nottingham Winter Shelter.

"Funding one week of the Nottingham Winter Shelter means that up to 26 people, depending on the venue, can sleep safely, stay warm and have access to meals for seven consecutive nights whilst potentially continuing to seek work or attending work during that week.

"Providing 154 nights of shelters for homeless people to sleep safely and keep warm is something we are delighted to support."

Denis Tully, the chief executive of Emmanuel House, said the donation will make a difference to many people's lives in the city.

He said: "The Nottingham night shelter and winter shelter are an integral part of the plan to reduce homelessness in the city of Nottingham.

"The Nottingham winter shelter is not government funded, therefore Emmanuel House relies on private donations from companies like SPE.

"All of the services Emmanuel House offers are orientated to preventing homelessness or supporting people out of homelessness into accommodation and settlement.

"Access to Emmanuel House’s services and access to the Nottingham winter shelter is free and the charity strive to provide diverse and accessible services that meet basic needs and empower individuals to make positive changes in their lives with the main aim is to help get homeless and vulnerable adults a home of their own.

"We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to SPE for their support, it really will make a difference to the lives of homeless adults in Nottingham."

Swiftool Precision Engineering was founded in 1984 and is a vendor for parts used for aerospace, nuclear and oil and gas sectors across the world.

EMBS Recruitment Services, Microme, Jacquet, Applied Inspection, Perfect Bore and Plastim also helped boost some of the money raised by the company.