Dorset Nightstop needs hosts as youth homelessness rises
Dorset Nightstop, run by Action for Children, needs volunteer hosts and drivers in BCP and Dorset after referrals of homeless young people rose 9.5 per cent.
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More young people across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset are being referred for emergency housing, and the service that finds them a bed for the night is short of volunteers. Dorset Nightstop, run by the children's charity Action for Children, is appealing for new volunteer hosts and drivers.
The appeal was reported by the Bournemouth Echo on Thursday 24 September 2026. Details of how the service works are on Action for Children's Dorset Nightstop page.
How much has demand risen?
Referrals to Dorset Nightstop rose 9.5 per cent between April 2025 and March 2026, according to the charity. Over the same year the service provided 343 nights of emergency accommodation, 11 per cent more than the year before.
Jade James, the service's senior volunteer coordinator, said every referral is a young person unsure where they will sleep that night. She said volunteers made those 343 nights possible and that, with need rising, the service cannot keep up without more hosts.
What does a Nightstop host do?
A host offers a spare room in their own home to a young person for a night at a time, while other agencies work on longer-term accommodation. Hosts provide an evening meal and a welcoming place to stay; Action for Children's page adds breakfast, washing facilities and a listening ear to that list.
The charity gives full training and ongoing support, and reimburses agreed expenses. Volunteers must be 25 or over. The next training programme starts in October and mixes online and face-to-face sessions. The service is also looking for volunteer drivers.
Who does the service help?
The Echo describes the service as supporting 16 to 25-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of it. Action for Children's own page gives the range as 16 to 25 in Dorset and 18 to 25 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. One young woman, whose name was changed, told the charity that arriving at her hosts after an unexpected eviction gave her the space to find a home and get back on track.
What it means for residents
This is an appeal to people who live here. Hosting needs a spare room in your own home, so it is for settled residents in any neighbourhood, from Boscombe and Southbourne to Poole and the Dorset towns. To register interest, email dorsetnightstop@actionforchildren.org.uk or call 01202 525643.
Other local groups work on the same problem in different ways; we covered one in our report on the homeless charity soap shop in Southbourne. The shortage of homes behind these referrals is also part of the story in our piece on new affordable homes in Upton.
If you have recently moved to the area, perhaps on a monthly stay in Bournemouth while you look for a home of your own, hosting will have to wait until you are settled. The driver role may be a more practical way to help sooner, so ask the service what it needs. Our guide to relocating to Bournemouth for work covers the rest of settling in.
Frequently asked questions
Hosts must be 25 or over and able to offer a spare room, an evening meal and a welcoming home for a night at a time. Full training and ongoing support are given, and agreed expenses are reimbursed. To register interest, email dorsetnightstop@actionforchildren.org.uk or call 01202 525643.
Young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Action for Children's service page gives the age range as 16 to 25 in Dorset and 18 to 25 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
