At first, entering Jimmy’s Night Shelter is like walking into any College Common Room. Comfortable sofas surround an array of large tables, and bowls of biscuits and sweets have been placed randomly around the room.

This comforting and welcoming atmosphere reflects the work that the volunteers at Jimmy’s offer each night to the homeless in Cambridge.

Inspired by Jim, a man who spent the majority of his life living under the M11, the shelter has provided nightly accommodation, food and conversation for local homeless since its opening in November 1995.

Although the shelter has several paid members of staff, it primarily runs with the help of around 200 volunteers, with some travelling from as far away as London and Peterborough in order to contribute. Volunteers can work either the evening, overnight or breakfast shift, in which they cook and serve food and generally keep the shelter in order.

However, given the isolation of the majority of the shelter’s guests, “the most important thing we offer is a human face”, commented Jane Heaney, the Jimmy’s Co-ordinator of Voluntary Services.

The demand for Jimmy’s services is extremely high, and with 31 beds, the shelter is normally full. Last year alone, 350 of Cambridge’s homeless had to be turned away.

Although many of the shelter’s guests come from the street, Heaney cites the “hidden homeless” (people living on the sofas of friends, in hostels, or in unsuitable housing) as a particularly prevalent issue.

The majority of the guests that Jimmy’s sees have experienced some form of relationship breakdown that has resulted in their current situation, whether this be with a partner or with family. This expiration of support has no exclusivity; whether they are scientists, business professionals or just out of college, the only thing that the guests of Jimmy’s have in common is the lack of somewhere to live.

The unusually large number of tourists in Cambridge, combined with the city’s position on the train line as the first stop from London, means that it is the destination of choice for a large number of England’s homeless.

Through working with other agencies in Cambridge, such as the Street Outreach team and St John’s Ambulance, guests are given the necessary help to regain the confidence that is so often lost through their circumstances.

The shelter has two ‘move-on houses’, with room for seven people. Here, guests can stay for up to two years and are taught things such as how to manage their finances. Currently, four of the seven inhabitants are back to working full time.

The opportunities Jimmy’s provides the homeless are invaluable; volunteers and staff work to ensure that their guests can move on to function successfully in society.

However, despite this, there are still those who the shelter cannot help. One volunteer, Ted Welsh, remarked on the sadness he felt on occasionally seeing former guests return to the street.

But the safety, warmth and, most importantly, compassion that Jimmy’s provides has helped literally thousands of homeless people since its opening and, in the last few years, the number of people living on the streets has decreased considerably.