The shelter wouldn’t run without volunteers and we need you!
You have to have turned 18 years old before your first shift to volunteer. You can train before you are 18.
Please apply to volunteer as soon as possible.
All volunteers must be approved before starting and there is a training session volunteers must attend before volunteering at the shelter. These sessions start in October.
If you are already a WHC volunteer, you will have been sent an email with instructions on what to do. If you haven't received this, get in touch.
See our Shelter venues page.
See the WHC shelter general handbook 2027 for details on shift patterns and timings. [coming soon]
We will update the shelter venue map shortly with location, parking options and public transport information for each venue.
See our Roles page.
There are three shifts at the seven venues: Evening 6pm - 10pm, Night 9.30pm - 7am, Morning: 6.30am - 8am.
There are also daytime jobs: Drivers are needed to drive the van to and from the shelter for the start and end of each night and we need volunteers to help with laundry.
We have listened and simplified the training for 2027. We will be in touch by email with what you need to do within a few days of you telling us via CERVIS what you want to do this year.
If you are a returning volunteer and doing the same role as last year, you won’t need to attend an in person general shelter training course. There will be an online updates video you need to watch and we'll email you details.
If you are a returning volunteer you may need to update some of your other training depending on how recently you gained your certification e.g. Food and Hygiene and First Aid.
There is also a brand new, in-person practical Shift Leader training course all Shift Leaders need to attend.
If you are a new volunteer, or a WHC volunteer who is new to night shelter, we will let you know when your application to volunteer is approved what training you need to do.
You will need to attend an in-person general introduction the shelter, which covers how the shelter works, safeguarding, maintaining boundaries, how to use our shelter shift booking system.
You may need to take other courses depending on which role you take on.
See our Training Hub for more details.
More details coming soon.
You can log in to CERVIS here.
If you need a bit of extra help then our "how to" guides are here or you can download our user guide here.
We’ve made it much easier this year with more info coming soon and included in your training.
We always need more people to volunteer on night shifts and morning shifts. We also need more Shift Leaders to do more Shift Leader shifts.
When we open the shifts for booking later in the autumn, you will be able to see all unfilled gaps in CERVIS and we will email out/create a webpage with specific hard-to-fill gaps at that point.
Homelessness is high in Buckinghamshire, and despite the government calling for ‘everyone in’ in 2026/27, too many people still fall outside the help they offer. That's where we come in. We offer shelter to people who would be forced to sleep outside in the winter.
While night shelters can never replace a permanent home, they play a vital role in saving lives during the coldest months. Thanks to the generosity of local churches offering their buildings, and the many volunteers who bring warmth and community, our winter shelter provides a safe place to stay at a time of year when it is most needed.
Because these venues are not designed for long-term living, we do not yet run a shelter all year round. Right now, we focus our resources on making the winter night shelter the very best it can be and, at the same time, helping every guest work towards a more secure future. Our specialist workers take time with each person to understand their situation and their hopes, supporting them to move into a home of their own when the shelter closes.
Alongside this, Wycombe Homeless Connection is working with the council and charity partners to explore options for more permanent accommodation for those who need it. Until then, our priority is to provide safety through the winter and to do all we can to help people move on from homelessness for good.
Working through our Outreach and Support teams and with other local organisations and the Council, we offer places in the shelter to people we know have no option but to sleep on the streets in the winter.
We work with people who come to us, who are referred to us by other services, or who we meet in our outreach work, often through the public making us aware of someone they are worried about.
If we think the council has a duty to help them, we will work with them on that. If we think they have no other options and it is a suitable and safe option for them we will offer them a stay in our shelter.
While the shelter is open we work with our guests to help them find a way out of homelessness.
For some, this can be straightforward if their homelessness is recent, or they didn’t know about options they may have.
For others, it is much harder as they may have been homeless for a long time and have lots of complications. However we never give up.
Most people do not return to staying on the streets after a stay in the night shelter and if any do not have accommodation lined up for them once it closes in the spring, we will continue to work with them for as long as it takes.
The shelter is kindly hosted at seven churches in or close to High Wycombe town centre.
We set up beds, a place to eat and an area for socialising.
We use the calm and warm environment the shelter provides to work with our guests to help them find a home for good and do everything we can to avoid anyone having to return to life on the street. Guests will be able to get their laundry done and have showers. The guests, staff and volunteers share a hot evening meal and there is time for socialising, laundry, showers, resting. Our support workers and trained volunteers work with our guests on their situations and opportunities.
A night volunteer team makes sure everyone gets a good night’s sleep. The morning team helps guests wake up, have breakfast, and set off for their day. The team clear up the venue.
The shelter wouldn’t run without volunteers and we need you!
We currently can only have people over 18 to volunteer.
If you are 17, and want to volunteer at a night shelter venue, you have to have turned 18 years old before your first shift.
Please apply to volunteer as soon as possible. All volunteers must be approved before starting and there is a training session volunteers must attend before volunteering at the shelter. These sessions start in October and after that we will be asking people to offer which specific role and shift they can do.
Click here for the volunteer application form.
If you’re already a WHC volunteer you should have received an email with instructions of what to do next. Get in touch if not on 01494 447699 or volunteer.enquiries@wyhoc.org.uk
YES! Our shelter appeal is urgent and live now.
Your gift will help us to bring help and hope to people who would otherwise be forced to sleep on the street this winter.
Thank you! See our Giving Goods page. Have a look there for what our current needs are, and other places you can donate to if we can’t accept your donation.