FOR young people who find themselves homeless, the first stop is often the sofa of a friend. Many of them will go from sofa to sofa before they end up sleeping rough on the streets.

This is the point when homeless young people are most vulnerable and when Bradford Nightstop aims to reach them, and meet their immediate need of a place to stay,

On October 11, 1993, the charity opened its doors to a homeless young person for the first time. The young man was placed in contact with a local volunteer and her family, who welcomed him into their home and gave him a warm place to stay, in a room of his own, for the night.

Since then the charity has worked with nearly 7,000 young people, providing immediate accommodation initially, then helping them to build their lives and stay off the streets.

Yesterday Bradford Nightstop marked its 21st anniversary with a 'Sofa Surf' in Centenary Square. Supporters gathered around a large inflatable sofa, where a volunteer in a sleeping bag symbolised a young person sofa surfing.

It was the first of several events to mark the organisation's 21 years in the district, with hundreds of local people making a difference to young people who are homeless. The charity places them in the homes of volunteers hosts, who offer them a hot meal and a room for one night only.

The first Nightstop was set up in Leeds after a Faith in the City report by local churches identified a gap in homeless services available to 16 to 25-year-olds. When several Bradford people enquired about becoming hosts, charity leaders saw the potential for a separate scheme in the district. Bradford Nightstop was the result of the efforts of a handful of volunteers who set up a steering group, researched the need for services, secured funding and employed two staff members.

Since then, 6738 times young people have received help from the charity. Hosts are carefully selected and trained and have access to 24-hour support. The young people are referred through a partner agency and are risk-assessed before they use the scheme. They are not allowed to stay at volunteers' homes if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Bradford Nightstop also goes into schools to educate young people about homelessness, a move that is aimed at prevention and raising awareness of how young people can access help if they find themselves with nowhere to go.

Now Bradford Nightstop has four part-time staff and 54 volunteers, and is partially funded through grants from Bradford Council and the Big Lottery Fund.

In addition to the hosts who provide spare rooms are volunteers who staff the telephone referral line, provide 24-hour support by 'phone, drive young people to their accommodation and provide safe places for them to wait until their host is ready to welcome them. The management committee, comprised of volunteers, runs the organisation with office staff.

Chairman of the management committee Sinead Garry said: "I love the simplicity of the scheme. It takes a lot of work to keep Nightstop going and we're supported by an excellent staff team. We're also very proud of the volunteers who have been with us from the earliest days and have continued to show support and commitment to Bradford Nightstop for the whole 21 years of the scheme. The education programme is always very well received and supported by Bradford's schools."

She added: "Our wish for homeless young people is to see our scheme ending, because there is no need for it. However, for as long as young people face homelessness in Bradford, we hope to be there to open doors for them."

Today - World Homeless Day - the problem shows no signs of disappearing. Homelessness charity Emmaus, which supports formerly homeless people by giving them a place to live and work in a social enterprise, has seen waiting lists increase by 30per cent and referrals increase by 29per cent over the last 12 months. The charity estimates that rough sleeping has increased by nearly 40 per cent, nationally, since 2010.

Simon Grainge, chief operating officer for Emmaus UK, explained: “We offer 623 beds from Brighton to Glasgow for those who find themselves homeless, and we plan to expand the number available to at least 750 by 2017.

* For information about Bradford Nightstop, how to become a volunteer or make a donation, call 01274 776888 or visit bradfordnightstop.org.uk

For more about Emmaus go to emmaus.org.uk