AN EMERGENCY shelter for homeless people has been set up as the city braces for snow this weekend.

Due to the weekend’s weather forecast, that would temperature’s falling below zero degrees Celsius, Oxford City Council has activated a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) in order to provide emergency shelter overnight for those rough sleeping.

Oxford Street Population Outreach Team (OxSPOT), coordinated by St Mungo’s, has said it will be open this evening until Sunday.

The situation will then be reviewed on Monday 29.

Thirty rooms have currently been allocated for SWEP in Oxford.

Accomodation is managed by St Mungo's and Homeless Oxfordshire

People outside Oxford who want a SWEP bed during freezing winter weather should contact Connection Support or their own council in the first instance:

  • Cherwell District Council - 01295 753 751 or 01295 221 531 out of hours
  • South Oxfordshire District Council - 01235 422 452 or 01235 422 410 out of hours
  • Vale of White Horse District Council - 01235 422 452 or 01235 422 420 out of hours
  • West Oxfordshire District Council - 01993 861 000 or 0151 343 2945 out of hours