Who do we help?

Over more than 40 years of work Nightwatch has empowered and assisted thousands of homeless vulnerable people to turn around their lives, from being homeless and unemployed..

How do we help?

Meeting point: A core group of trained volunteers meet every night in Queen’s Gardens in central Croydon to assist homeless people. We are often the first-line agency in identifying and...

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Donations

Make a financial donation. You can donate online or send an e-mail to donate to Nightwatch. Cheques can be sent to Nightwatch at PO Box 9576, London, SE23 3ZH

Welcome to Nightwatch

Nightwatch volunteers are out every night in the centre of Croydon giving food and other help to homeless and other vulnerable people. We can be found every night at 9.30pm in the Queen’s Gardens, by Fell Road.

Our core activity is providing direct support for homeless people and others in need. We help people at every level of homelessness, from the street homeless to those in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation and vulnerable former homeless people who need continuing support if they are not to become homeless again.

There are no paid staff, and no office premises.  The numbers on this website are home numbers, so if you can contact us by email rather than telephone, that is appreciated: croydonnightwatch@btinternet.com.

Potential volunteers: fiona@croydonnightwatch.org.uk

Here is a copy of our current annual report

Homeless in Croydon

We do not have accommodation, but can advise people in need from the Queen’s Gardens at 9.30 every night. The main port of call is the council’s Single Homeless Service who will give advice to single homeless adults:0208 760 5498

In winter the churches in Croydon run the Floating Shelter which involves many churches that also help us and we have many volunteers in common.  Access to the shelter is via referral from the SNAP team or the Crisis centre at 13 Surrey Street 0203 848 1700. Young people (14-21 year olds) can find help at Croydon Turnaround, 54/55 South End, CRO 1BF  0208 760 5530.

For people sleeping out StreetLink may visit and offer options 0300 500 0914.  They want to visit people at a sleeping place, to prove someone is street homeless. You can report seeing someone you see sleeping out at StreetLink: www.streetlink.org.uk.

Nightwatch objectives

To act as first line contact for homeless people, to signpost them to other agencies

  • To provide urgent and necessary items of food, clothes, toiletries, pots, pans, household goods to people in need
  • The stabilisation of former homeless people in new accommodation
  • To assist in helping unemployed homeless people (both financially and emotionally) to take up vocational training and education
  • To befriend homeless people to encourage empowerment and increase in confidence
  • To educate the community at large in Croydon about the realities of homelessness

Special thanks to