St Michael’s Mount to Light Up Yellow for St Petrocs Winter Services

St Michael’s Mount will light up in yellow this Friday evening to raise awareness of the risks winter poses to people forced to sleep outside and the work being carried out by St Petrocs during the coldest months of the year.

A Yellow Light for a Winter Reality

On Friday, 23rd January, at 4:58pm, St Michael’s Mount will be illuminated in yellow to highlight St Petrocs’ winter services and the dangers faced by people experiencing homelessness.

The move follows recent severe weather, including Storm Goretti, which brought high winds, freezing temperatures and harsh outdoor conditions. While the storm posed a serious risk for one night, winter weather presents a danger every night for people without a safe place to sleep.

Winter Services Opened Early

St Petrocs opened its Winter Services a month early in November 2025 due to rising demand. These services run alongside year-round support and provide additional room spaces, allowing more people to be placed in emergency accommodation.

Since November, 72 people have been given emergency accommodation who would otherwise have been sleeping outside or in insecure and unsafe conditions.

Of those supported, 31 people have since moved into a stable place to call home. All 166 rooms within St Petrocs’ year-round accommodation are currently fully occupied, underlining the level of demand. A further 33 people remain in emergency accommodation, which will continue beyond the end of winter so that secure, long-term housing options are available.

“It Was My Safe Space”

Lewis, who accessed emergency accommodation, shared his experience:

“I was in a tent when there was really, really bad weather. It was awful. I couldn’t even roll the tent down in the morning because it was so wet. I had to roll it up and put it in the bin. There was no point in keeping anything. I had to get rid of everything. I was broken that day, because it was my safe space, the last thing I’ve got. The next day, I was told there was a room for me in emergency accommodation. It was amazing, it was such a relief. You’ve all helped me so much.”

Winter Appeal Calls for Support

St Petrocs’ Winter Appeal is now calling for donations to help provide emergency shelter, safety and access to life-changing support throughout the winter period.

With community support, the charity says it can continue helping people avoid freezing nights outside while offering guidance and resources aimed at moving beyond homelessness for good.

More information about the Winter Appeal and St Petrocs’ Winter Services, including how to donate, can be found on the St Petrocs Winter Appeal page.