You know when you sign up to do something because it seems like a good idea at the time? Then as it gets closer you start to regret your decision? That was me with Simons Big Sleepout!
I signed up to sleep out on the city streets of Leeds for one night in October to raise awareness of this fantastic charity and to get some sponsorship money too. I really hadn’t thought it through at the time. Sleeping out, on the floor, in town, IN OCTOBER?!? That’s such a terrible idea!
My friends were quite shocked when I told them what I was planning, my husband laughed and rolled his eyes, secretly confident I wouldn’t go through with it. Even my daughter messaged me from Uni in Liverpool saying, ‘This is DANGEROUS!’
Truth be told, on the night it felt anything but dangerous. It was super-secure and well organised, there was a great, almost party-like atmosphere! DPD turned up with a huge white van filled with cardboard sheets for us to sleep on and some freebie branded drink cups. The team at Simon on the Streets had arranged for a steady supply of complimentary hot drinks to be made available, courtesy of the people at D&D London, for which we were truly grateful. Honest Burgers had a stand where we could buy the most delicious food and drinks, there was live music, a quiz, and even a raffle (thank you to H&N Magazine for donating a lot of the prizes). I won a bamboo electric toothbrush! We were having a good time while doing a good thing, win-win!
This was shaping up to be a great evening, far removed from the discomforts of sleeping on the streets.
Then we heard from Natalie, the CEO of Simon on the Streets, about the work that they do. About how the situation is getting progressively worse. About there being more and more people facing homelessness and fewer and fewer resources to support them, and about how vital the money from this fundraiser is to their charity.
The wonderful thing about Simon on the Streets, Natalie explained to us, is that they have no ending point to their support. Unlike some other initiatives, they can provide emotional and practical support indefinitely to those who need them. There is no time limit to how long they can be there for someone in need.
This put me in a reflective mood. I work in the city centre every day and I see people struggling with homelessness every day too. It certainly made me think about my good fortune to have a warm home, loving family and good physical and mental health. Meanwhile there were people only a few streets away who were struggling to sleep, in the damp, cold city centre without the luxurious sleeping bag and waterproof bivvy bag that I had brought along with me. I knew that if I needed the loo I could pop to the facilities in the Civic Hall and if I just couldn’t take it anymore, I could simply hop into my car and go home.
My thoughts turned to the hours ahead of me and the sheets of cardboard that were to be my bed for the evening and it was soon time to settle down. Thank goodness the rain had stopped – I settled down on top of two layers of cardboard and an insulated mat. I took my shoes off and put them in a bin-bag to protect them from the dew that was already forming in the damp grass. Other than that, I stayed fully dressed for the night.
Full disclosure, I fell asleep straight away. Unbelievable!
I was toasty warm and although the ground wasn’t particularly comfortable, I was ok. Once I persuaded some of the noisier fundraisers to keep their voices down, I covered my eyes and I was away. No one was more surprised than me.
Then, not long after midnight the noise from a rowdy gang of revellers woke me up with their screeches and shouts, but they soon moved on and I nodded off again easily. Safe in the knowledge that I was behind some railings and overlooked by security guards.
The next time I woke up about 40 minutes later however, the discomfort of the floor got to me, my creaking hips were not happy with the hard ground. At All.
Filled with determination for this good cause, I decided that I was going back to sleep come what may. I did some wriggling and folding and managed to get enough sleeping bag underneath me to create more of a padded feel and it took the edge off.
For about an hour. Then I woke up with a huge light shining in my face.
My eye mask had come off and the massive light on top of the civic hall was SO bright. The city centre never really gets dark I guess. I couldn’t find the mask anywhere and I didn’t want to wake my neighbours up by rummaging around in the middle of the night. So, I pulled my hat down over my eyes and settled down. Again.
This was more or less the pattern every 40 minutes or so, until about 5am when the RRT van (supplying breakfast and hot drinks) arrived and started setting up. Even then I still managed to get about another 30 minutes shut eye.
I was elated, I’d done it, survived the night, and even slept!
My problems really started when I tried to stand up, that’s when I realised that I hadn’t come through unscathed. My poor aching bones! I felt like I’d aged 20 years overnight and I was walking like I needed a stick for support. Even through the cardboard and the insulated mat, the hard flat grass had still taken its toll.
I hobbled over to the RRT tent. The lovely people in the RRT (Rapid Relief Team) are all volunteers who are usually some of the first on the scene in emergency situations, providing a warm cuppa and food to people who need them. They had agreed to attend this fundraiser as a show of support for the work that Simon on the Streets do.
They provided me with a lovely sandwich and a nice warm drink, then I said my goodbyes and headed off home, feeling a little bit tired but mostly feeling pleased that I’d managed it.
As I pulled up outside the house, ready to start the day with a shower and get ready for work, I was hit by a wave of melancholy. I’d actually had a fabulous time, met some lovely people and I was just returning to my lovely family and carrying on as normal.
I know this sleepout was to raise money and awareness, but it made me really think what life must be like for the people living with homelessness on a daily basis and with no sanctuary. I was able to bring things with me that protected me from the worst of the experience, I didn’t get cold, I was well-fed, and I had my family and a hot shower waiting for me after 12 hours outside. But so many people don’t.
As the cost of living rises and cuts to services become more and more severe, the work of Simon on the Streets is needed more than ever.
I’m absolutely thrilled to report that this event raised more than £26,000 to help them continue bringing emotional and practical support to those in need, and I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of it.
If you would like more information about the great work Simon on the Streets provides, click HERE.
Experienced and written by Sally Bendall – @girlaboutleeds
