A city-based charity that works with single homeless people has officially opened a new care home.

Sarah Hall

A city-based charity that works with single homeless people has officially opened a new care home.

St Martins Housing Trust will now care for 22 more homeless people in Norwich at Highwater House.

At a small ceremony earlier this week, Margaret Webster, widow of the late Rt. Revd. Alan Webster, former Dean of Norwich Cathedral, declared the home open.

Mrs Webster reminded the gathering of the struggles her husband and his colleagues had in the early 1970's convincing various city organisations that homelessness was a very real problem in Norwich.

Following their efforts St Martins Housing Trust was created and today the charity offers a range of services to homeless people including the new Highwater House, in Westwick Street, Norwich.

Chairman of the Trustees Kevin Long, thanked everyone concerned with bringing the £2m, four-year project to a conclusion.

He said: “We are all extremely proud of Highwater House. It provides a vital, missing piece in the jigsaw of our services to homeless people.

“We are indebted to many, many organisations for their help on the project, including the City Council and the County Council, and a wide range of grant-giving charities, schools, community groups and individuals. Norwich and Norfolk Consolidated Charities were particularly generous”.

With the opening of Highwater House, Mr. Long said, the Trust was able to offer quality accommodation to 22 homeless people who were struggling with a mental health problem and a substance misuse problem.