November 2, 2011 9.06 am This story is over 147 months old

What a difference a lick of paint makes

Making a difference: University volunteers help the homeless for national charity day.

Nomad Trust Homless Shelter on Monks Road was given a fresh coat of paint on Tuesday, thanks to students and staff volunteers from the University of Lincoln.

The group painted the outside of the building to celebrate Make a Difference Day, a national movement from leading volunteering charity CSV.

Volunteer Coordinator at the University of Lincoln, Jane Kilby explained the theme for this year is combatting community isolation and she feels the Nomad Trust’s shelter is a fitting choice.

Kilby said: “Beyond providing the place with a coat of paint, by giving our time it will make the residents feel like they matter to someone.”

Group Services Manager at The Nomad Trust, Brenda Shiels, said the Trust relies on public donations and volunteers to survive, with local support needed to ensure they meet the needs and wants of the community.

“Homeless people are automatically excluded from the local community by the very fact of being homeless and the longer they are on the streets, the more isolated they become and social skills are lost,” said Shiels.

The facelift aims to make the shelter more appealing and the Nomad Trust is currently running an outreach project to help those sleeping rough.