Severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP)

How we help rough sleepers during extreme weather

We can help in extreme heat

In extreme heat, we commission Noah Enterprise to provide outreach services to people sleeping rough in Central Bedfordshire. The organisation provide rough sleepers with severe weather advice, water, sun cream and other resources to help them stay safe in the extreme heat.

What happens when we activate the protocol

We provide temporary nighttime shelter (either directly, or through a partner) for people sleeping rough. We provide this for as long as it's needed.


Winter weather advice – get help when it's freezing

If the night temperature is forecast to fall to 0° (zero degrees) Celsius, or below, for 3 nights or more, we can help.

During the day

Telephone: 0300 300 4370

Lines are open:

  • Monday to Thursday, 8:30am until 5:30pm
  • Friday, 8:30am until 4:30pm

In the evening, overnight and at weekends

Telephone: 0300 300 8098

Others who can help

NOAH Enterprise

Welfare Centre
141 Park Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3HG

Telephone: 01582 728416

Visit NOAH Enterprise's website

NOAH can help if the night temperature is forecast to fall to 0° (zero degrees) Celsius, or below, for 3 nights or more.

Help in Bedford

Find out about support available for rough sleepers in Bedford.

Help in Luton

Find out about support available for rough sleepers in Luton.

If you know of someone sleeping rough

If you know of someone sleeping rough, you can ask for help via StreetLink. It only takes a minute to point an outreach worker to their location and get them help. You'll get an update, when outreach workers have visited the person, about what is being done to help them.

You can also email our outreach service: centralbeds.outreach@noahenterprise.org.

How we help rough sleepers during extreme weather

Sleeping rough is very dangerous, especially during severe weather.

When the temperature is forecast to drop to 0° (zero degrees) Celsius (or below) for three or more nights, we can help.

This is when our severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) is activated.

We work with local homelessness services to decide when to activate the protocol. We do this to protect rough sleepers from serious harm, during extreme weather.

The decision considers extreme:

  • cold
  • wind
  • rain

When we activate the protocol, we provide temporary night-time shelter (either directly, or through a partner) for people sleeping rough. We provide this for as long as it's needed.