Joanna gets a fabulous welcome

It was a moment that would have had her Absolutely Fabulous character Patsy choking on a glass of Bolly.

But Joanna Lumley smiled cheerfully as a rough sleeper with the word "love" tatooed across his knuckles stretched his arm around her and thanked her for coming to open a shelter for men and women who have spent years living on the streets.

George Totten told the actress and those who have helped set up Graham House on Vauxhall Cross: "If it wasn't for people like these you wouldn't have people like me in here. This is a real chance for many of us here to get our lives back on track."

Lumley said: "It's so exciting to be here today. I live in this area just around the corner in Albert Square and I have frequently met many of the people here before in the local post office. It is fantastic to finally be able to put names to those faces."

Graham House, run by homeless charity Thames Reach Bondway and owned by housing association North British Housing, offers 69 single rooms for men and women who require a high level of support to rebuild their lives.

The building replaces the Bondway shelter which for 21 years provided vital emergency accommodation for older homeless men in dormitories.

A £4 million grant from the Rough Sleepers Unit enabled a derelict office block to be transformed into a purpose-built shelter offering improved facilities, increased space and a wider range of services than were previously on offer. The shelter will work with residents to resettle them into more permanent accommodation and to address any problems around alcohol abuse and mental or physical health needs.

Another of the men who welcomed Lumley was Gerald Gault, 46, from Port Glasgow. He said: "I'm made up that Joanna Lumley has come to open this shelter. It is a real surprise that such a famous actress is spending her own time to come here and chat with us today. I have spent over 10 years sleeping on the streets and it is places like this that will give me a chance to start a new life."

Before unveiling a plaque, Lumley said: "Having lived in the area for 11 years I have seen this once crumbling, derelict building over a short period of time blossom into something quite extraordinary and it is very suitable that it is named Graham House." The shelter was named after Graham Parr, the founding director of Bondway.

Lumley added: "Everyone I have met here is wonderful and the feeling in this place is quite exceptional. God bless this house and God bless all of you."

Louise Casey, head of the Rough Sleepers Unit, said: "Graham House will offer the most vulnerable homeless people a route away from the street and into accommodation and treatment. We should never give up on those most in need."