Local businesses help bring new Bath homeless day centre to life

Staff from local businesses rolled up their sleeves and picked up their paint brushes to give a city centre building a new purpose as a day centre for people experiencing homelessness.

Work is under way at the day centre in Corn Street | Photo courtesy of Julian House

The day centre in Corn Street is being developed by Bath-based charity Julian House, which has been supporting the homeless community for close to 40 years.

Julian House already runs an off-the-streets hostel for rough sleepers in the city centre, along with supported accommodation where people recovering from homelessness can prepare to live independently.

The new day centre is where Julian House previously ran a bike workshop social enterprise, which closed in 2025.

Volunteers from companies including Interaction UK, Bath Building Society, Business West and Netcraft have been involved in getting the day centre ready to open later this month.

Annie McKenna, digital content executive for Bath Building Society, said: “It was an amazing experience to be part of the project getting the day centre ready for opening.

“I definitely learned new skills and met lots of new people, and I am so proud to be part of the team at BBS where we’re actively encouraged to volunteer in our local community.”

Helen Bedser, chief executive at Julian House, said: “Rough sleeping across England is at an all-time high, and any visitor to the city centre will know that there are many people experiencing homelessness here in Bath with limited options during the day.

“This service will complement existing projects delivered by local partners like Genesis Trust and we hope it will significantly enhance the care and support we can offer to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

“We’re so grateful to the local businesses who got stuck in to help us make the day centre ready for action.”

The day centre will be open throughout the working week, offering homeless people a safe space to relax, use laundry and washing facilities and access support that can help them get off the streets.

This comes at a time when the future of Julian House’s hostel on Manvers Street is at risk as Bath & North East Somerset Council considers its future approach to tackling homelessness.

Helen Bedser added: “In such uncertain times, this day centre is part of our strategy to ensure continued support for our clients.

“We remain committed to supporting people facing homelessness in Bath and across the South West and will do everything in our power to offer them safety and a pathway to better things.”

An opening date is not yet confirmed. The day centre will be independently funded and delivered by Julian House, with financial and volunteering support from the local community.

Anyone interested in getting involved can contact [email protected]