A KIND-HEARTED couple have won an award for hosting the most homeless young people in Cumbria.

Roy and Marian Muir, of Whitehaven, help out youngsters in crisis by giving them a bed for the night.

The couple work with Nightstop, run by Depaul UK, which provides homeless young people with free emergency accommodation.

Mr and Mrs Muir have hosted over 100 young people at their home in Mirehouse, and even continued to help vulnerable youths while Mrs Muir, 70, battled cancer.

The couple have been recognised with the Nightstop Volunteer Award. They also received two awards from Cumbria’s Police Commissioner Peter McCall in 2017.

Mr Muir, 72, said: “We live in a four-bed house and our family have all moved out now so we have three beds spare. We’ve been doing it for four years now.

“My wife was going through chemo and we were still hosting young people.”

Speaking of their latest award, Mr Muir said: “It’s brilliant. We have met some fantastic young people. We get pleasure knowing we have stopped somebody committing crime, doing drugs, or getting into trouble, and knowing we have given them a safe place to stay. We get a sense of achievement when they move on.”

Sharon Jackson, senior Nightstop Co-ordinator, said: “This is a small token to say how much we appreciate all Mr and Mrs Muir do for Nightstop Cumbria and the guests they host. They go above and beyond and always go the extra mile for their guests and do everything they can to make sure the placement goes as smoothly as possible. We are very lucky to have them on board.”

Nightstop is a stopgap measure to ensure vulnerable youngsters do not get stuck in the homeless system. The youths stay in the homes of approved volunteers, on a temporary basis until a more appropriate longer term solution to their housing problems can be found.