I was very pleased to read of the night-time shelter for the homeless proposed by the Rev Paul Wentworth in York.

As your comment states, it is all too easy to forget these human beings who live a life of deprivation and degradation on the streets of big cities.

I try to buy The Big Issue regularly when passing through the city and drop change into the hands or receptacles of beggars. I do realise that a minority of these are spongers who take from tourists money that they don't need.

However, I would rather give money to one of these than withhold help to someone who really is in desperate straits.

I cannot see why an application for Lottery cash would not be approved for this shelter - it is such a worthy cause.

If money can be provided for little-known schemes to benefit homosexuals, surely people who spend a wretched existence could be considered more deserving of assistance.

Heather Causnett,

Escrick Park Gardens,

Escrick.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.