Asking people to give a homeless youngster a bed for the night is no easy task.

"It is quite a difficult thing to get people to do," said Bridget Chapman, co-ordinator of Darlington-based charity Stop2Night. "People worry about who they are inviting into their homes and that is understandable. But the young people we deal with aren't dangerous, they are in genuine need."

The charity, formerly known as Night Stop, works to find hosts willing to offer an overnight stay to a young person aged 16-25 who has nowhere to go.

"There are a lot of stigmas attached to being homeless that are hard to overcome," said Ms Chapman, who also acts as a host herself. "People think the youngsters who come to us are drug addicts or troublemakers, but that's just not the case. We don't accept anyone with drug or alcohol problems or recent criminal records.

"A lot of people who are referred to us have been in care and sometimes they just don't get the help and support they need. Some people have been sleeping rough on the streets for a while, whereas others are suffering from a family breakdown or problem which means they just can't go home.

"We work to keep them safe in the immediate future and also help find permanent accommodation to make sure they don't get end up back on the streets."

Ms Chapman said that Stop2Night hosts were not bound into a lasting commitment.

"We only ask hosts to have people to stay for one night, or a weekend at most," said Ms Chapman. "It's up to hosts how often they want people to stay, and they can say no whenever they want to.

"They certainly won't be asked to have someone every night. As a host, I have only had four or five people stay with me over the last few months, so it's not a regular occurrence by any means."

Ms Chapman said exhaustive measures were in place to ensure the safety of all involved.

"I have complete faith in the safety checks. I wouldn't expect our hosts to accept anyone I wouldn't take in myself, and as a mother I wouldn't be part of the scheme if I thought for a moment it would put my children or myself at risk.

"In the ten years we have been operating, the worst problem we have had is the odd theft. There have never been any assaults or anything like that because we have such a good system to make sure that these are people in genuine need."

Self-referrals to the scheme are not accepted, and the homeless youngsters are directed to an initial point of call, such as the borough council and young people's organisation First Stop, where as much information is gathered as possible.

"An assessment form is filled in to check for drug or alcohol problems, mental health issues or criminal background," said Ms Chapman. "We do not want to take advantage of our volunteers' hospitality, so very thorough checks are carried out to make sure the person is suitable for the scheme.

"If the young person has been sleeping rough on the streets, it's sometimes difficult to get the background, but we do as much as we can and check with social workers, guest houses or anyone else they might have had contact with."

On acceptance to the scheme, arrangements are made for a volunteer driver to collect the young person in the evening and take them to the house, introduce them to the hosts and make sure they are settled.

"It can be very scary for a young person to have to go and stay with strangers overnight, which is something a lot of people don't realise," said Ms Chapman. "We explain everything to them, and make sure they get there safely and feel at ease, because often they can feel quite frightened and lonely."

The young person usually arrives at the host's house after 6pm and will have dinner with the family. Hosts must have a spare room so the visitor can have privacy and the charity issues toiletry bags in case the youngster does not have their own supplies.

Plans are arranged for the next day and the young person usually leaves early the following morning to attend an appointment with the council or housing authority.

"We have started giving out questionnaires to the young people to get feedback," said Ms Chapman. "It's good for us to get to know what they think so we can improve and, so far, the feedback that we have had has been positive and they are happy with what has been offered to them."

The charity was set up in 1993 as Night Stop, and officially launched its new name, Stop2Night, on November 26 this year. As well as volunteer drivers, the charity operates thanks to volunteer telephone operators who take calls on a rota basis between 4pm and 8pm, seven days a week. Calls are diverted to their homes, and they liaise with the referral centres and hosts if a case comes in.

Ms Chapman joined the charity in 1994 as a telephone co-ordinator and became a host a year later. She was appointed as co-ordinator in March this year.

"When I was a teenager I found myself suddenly homeless for a very short time," said Ms Chapman. "It was a very scary feeling and I want to do what I can to help other young people who experience that, so that they know there is somewhere for them to turn.

"Being a host myself helps in the job because I can give people first-hand advice."

The charity is currently struggling to operate with only four hosts in the area. More are desperately needed in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe.

"It's not something that everyone is willing or able to do," said Ms Chapman. "But the vast majority of hosts over the years have found it very rewarding, and a good opportunity to talk to someone different and learn about their life.

"It is a big thing to ask someone to do, but it really does make such a huge difference to so many young people who would otherwise be lost."

For details on becoming a host or to make a donation to the charity, contact Ms Chapman on 01325 382737.