HOMELESS people on the streets of Newton Abbot have a new refuge.

A church in the centre of town is being used as a new night shelter for street people from now until the spring.

Abbotsbury Church has been opening its doors on Friday evenings since the new year, and will continue through February and March for anyone who needs it. Guests are given a three-course meal, overnight accommodation, breakfast the next morning and a packed lunch to take away.

The Community Rest and Over Winter Night Shelter project (CROWNS) is run in conjunction with other churches and charities, and managed by Abbotsbury vicar, Rev Gareth Regan, with a team of 44 volunteers.

Gareth said: ‘I am really pleased to see the church step up as a force for good in this community, it’s phenomenal!

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