Whitney
We are not just support workers - we are people they trust
Read Whitney’s story here:
Whitney's Story
Bright, open, and just steps from Blackburn train station, Platform 5 is more than a day centre.
Run by youth homeless charity Nightsafe, Platform 5 offers a welcoming space where young people aged 16–25 can access support, find stability and connect with others. With showers, hot meals, life skills workshops and a listening ear, it’s often the first stop for someone facing hardship.
It forms part of Nightsafe’s wider support network across Blackburn with Darwen, which includes emergency accommodation, supported housing projects, outreach, and advice services – all aimed at helping young people rebuild their lives.
At the heart of Platform 5 is Whitney McPhee, the Day Centre coordinator. “Every day is different,” she says. “You come in and someone might be in crisis, or it might be a really positive day, full of good news.”
Whitney, 33, from Darwen, brings both professional insight and natural warmth to the role with her background in health, social care and criminology. “I’ve always wanted to help people. When I saw what Nightsafe do and the support they offer, I just knew that it was the perfect fit.”
Whitney’s journey with Nightsafe began as a support worker at one of the housing projects, but it’s at Platform 5 where she has really found her stride. Whitney forms part of a close-knit team and shares her daily duties with Amanda, who manages the emergency Night Shelter located just upstairs. “Because the Night Shelter closes in the morning, a lot of the young people come straight down to the Day Centre. So Amanda and I are always in sync.”
Activities like football and gardening bring everyone together with both staff and young people getting involved, but it’s often the emotional support that has the most lasting impact. “A lot of the young people haven’t had great upbringings. Some don’t know how to cook, clean, or even where to start. We just meet them where they are.”
From providing showers and food parcels to helping write CVs or apply for housing grants, Whitney and her team do it all. “Sometimes they just want to sit and talk. One of them came in beaming saying he’d just got his own flat. That’s the best part of the job.”
There are challenges too, especially when it comes to moving young people from temporary accommodation into longer-term housing. “We’re supposed to move them on in nine nights, but with how things are at the moment, it can take two or three weeks. Everywhere’s full. It’s tough, especially when we’re often the first place they’ve felt safe in a long time.”
Still, there’s no shortage of success stories. Like a young man who lost his mum at 11 and was later kicked out by his sister is now living independently, and another young man who progressed through several Nightsafe projects and is now settled in his own place.
“We are not just support workers – we are people who they put a lot of trust into,” Whitney says. “It’s their Day Centre as much as ours and that’s what makes it work.”
Whitney said businesses donating financially to Nightsafe via their patron scheme help to ensure the services offered can continue.
“For a business, it might not seem like a lot of money, but when a few come together that’s when the real difference happens. That’s how we keep going. And that’s how we help these young people get to where they want to be.”
