Around 50 people swapped their mattresses for the cold flagstones of the Cloister at Norwich Cathedral as part of a Sleep Out to raise money and awareness about homelessness.
The event on January 30 raised over £30,000 for St Martins, and the money will provide more support for people sleeping on the streets in the city.
Chief Executive Dr Jan Sheldon said, “It’s not being overly dramatic to say that the outcome of an event like this is that lives will be saved. The money raised will enable us to reach more people experiencing homelessness and offer them support, safety and hope for the future. We all had a cold and uncomfortable night; however, we were safe and every person taking part had a warm house and a bed to return to, and supportive friends and family who sponsored them for the sleepout.”
The Lady Dannatt MBE, the HM Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk was one of the participants in the event. She said, “I am passionate about good mental health. But good mental health is only ever possible when an individual has a secure base from which to operate. No person can be successfully treated for difficulties with his or her mental health while they are kipping on the street, under a viaduct, or sofa surfing night after night. Everyone needs their own front door. That has to be the starting point, and only then can other life changing support begin to be put in place.”
The Lady Dannatt MBE slept out to raise awareness about the work of St Martins and other fantastic local charities doing similar work.
Groups from workplaces took part, including from Mills & Reeve, RCP Parking, the community champion at Tesco Harford Bridge and nurses from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Another participant, Ben, took part because homelessness is a cause close to his heart, having seen his mum caring for people on the streets. He also encouraged friends from his business network to get involved too. Ben said, “We live in a world where we all want the new car or the latest Apple watch or biggest phone and it’s actually really nice to stay grounded and realise that some people just want warmth.”
Neville, who has experienced homelessness and rough sleeping himself in the past raised £350 by doing the sleepout. He said, “For once I actually feel proud of myself.” Neville now volunteers for an advice and recovery community that helps men with borderline personality disorder to support each other by sharing their experiences.
Neville knows first-hand that sleeping rough repeatedly causes both physical and mental suffering, on top of existing problems and trauma.