How it worked

The reason for the name of the project is to portray the idea that time spent at the Stepping Stone is only a means to moving on to better things, whether that may be a rehab, or more settled accommodation, or moving on to a new life in a different town.

Our aim was that as we neared the end of the project we would have less and less people staying with us, and that when we closed everyone who had expressed a desire to move on had been assisted in doing so. Those who choose to live a life on the streets will at least have had a couple of months in warm beds.

We had a system whereby those individuals who stayed the previous night had priority for a bed as long as they booked back in by 8.15pm the following evening. Those who were late were added to the waiting list along with any others who arrive who didn't stay the previous night. Guests could leave the premises once they had booked in, although they needed to return by 10pm or once again they would forfeit their beds to those on the waiting list.