AN INCREASING amount of young people in Dorset are at risk of homelessness due to the cost of living crisis, a Dorset charity says.

Action for Children's Nightstop project provides emergency temporary accommodation to homeless young people aged 16 to 25 from across the region, placing them with volunteer host families, typically for up to three nights, while local agencies find a long-term solution.

The charity made the claim after it reached record demand for its help which its puts down to the crisis.

Due to such demands, they are making an urgent plea for volunteers to support them with their work.

Volunteer coordinator at the service, Simon Keys, said: "The cost-of-living crisis is putting more and more young people from Dorset at risk of homelessness as they’re really struggling to find anywhere affordable to live.

"Rents are soaring as landlords have had to pass on all the inflation costs to their tenants.

"This is also preventing young people in supported accommodation from moving on, which in turn lengthens the waiting lists for that housing. This is the worst we’ve seen things since we started in 2009.

"Our amazing volunteers can usually step in by providing young people with shelter. Yet now the demand is such we – and others like us – are having to turn down requests as we don’t have enough volunteers."

One of the many youngsters the charity has been able to support is Emlyn, 23, from Dorchester who had become homeless in 2021 and spent months moving from sofa to sofa or sleeping in a makeshift shelter.

Action for Children’s Dorset Nightstop was able to find Emlyn short-term accommodation with its volunteer hosts for a few weeks until Dorset Council found him a permanent solution.

Describing his volunteer hosts, Emlyn said: "It was the first proper bed I’d slept in for months. To see that sort of kindness from people I’ve never met let alone owe me anything was absolutely overwhelming.

"It was also such a breath of fresh air and an extra motivator for me to try and get to a place where I could get to a semi-long term let. It was a steppingstone that I’d needed for a very long time."

Action for Children’s Dorset Nightstop offers full training and support to all its volunteers, as well as reimbursement of expenses associated with carrying out the role. Volunteers need to be over 21, be able to drive and have access to a car.

The next opportunity for new volunteers to start begins on Monday, November 7. To find out more call Simon Keys on 07779 029292 or email simon.keys@actionforchildren.org.uk