 
NEW PODS PLANNED FOR GUERNSEY
Caritas is taking urgent action in an attempt to help people sleeping rough by launching the project and called on the community to help identify a small site where the pods can be placed the successful replacement of our first ever pod installation
The sleeping pods are designed by UK charity Amazing Grace Spaces and have already been used in cities like Sheffield to provide secure, warm shelter for people with no other housing options. Each pod includes solar panels, lighting, a phone charging point, and a chemical toilet.
Once installed Mr Merfield said the pods would be managed by a part-time support person.
‘We’ve done quite a lot of work in terms of putting outline documents together to manage the pods and rules and regulations. We’ve been supported on this by Amazing Grace Spaces who run some pods themselves, but they’ve also supplied over 35 of them to other charities in the UK.’
When we learnt about them, we imagined people would be there for two or three nights, and that would be the ideal. However, what Amazing Grace Spaces has told us is that they’ve had people for up to six weeks as they have not had anywhere else to go, but they are very simple and basic and really, they’re designed for one to seven nights.
The pods take about four to six weeks to build, and Mr Merfield said the charity’s aim was to have them in place by the summer.
‘Then we can learn how to manage them ahead of the winter, when we think there will be an even greater need.’
For more information visit www.caritas.org.gg. To learn more about the pod design, visit Amazing Grace Spaces or watch this video by Salvation Army Sheffield.
