13th January 2020
We wanted to make the experience as authentic as possible, while at the same time ensuring we were safe. It was a miserable rainy night, so after layering up with long-johns and countless jumpers, we lit a fire and sheltered under a gazebo here in the garden at the Project. Thank you to Andy from Parkes Hairdressers for rigging up a shelter for us.
It was an eye-opening experience, quite literally. It should perhaps have been called a ‘Wake Out’ rather than a Sleep Out. We now understand why you see homeless people sleeping during the day; sleeping on the street at night is impossible.
As the night went on, the noise from Bromsgrove Town Centre became louder; people merrily spilling out of the pubs and clubs, getting Chinese from the takeaway next door, slamming taxi doors or just shouting drunkenly on their way home. Would anyone jump the gate to where we were trying to sleep? The garden where we were backs onto a pub car park, so it was entirely possible.
We imagined how much worse it would be to actually be sleeping on the street, amongst all of the people stumbling out of the pubs we could hear from a distance. What would it be like in a city centre? Absolutely terrifying is the answer. As well as wet, cold, and mentally and physically exhausting.
We are over the moon to have raised £693, which is more than double our original target of £300, so thank you so much to everyone who sponsored us. Every penny will go towards supporting vulnerable young people in crisis.
