Hardy Devizes volunteers sleep put for drop-in charity
9:42am Monday 11th March 2013 in Latest News
Steve and Caroline McKeown, head chorister Jessica Brown and her dad Ian at the sleepout
Hardy Devizes volunteers found out what it is like to sleep rough in the depths of winter when they held a sleep-out in the town to draw attention to the plight of homeless people.
A group of 15 people slept out in St Mary’s Church in New Park Street, Devizes, to raise money for Opendoor, the drop-in centre based in St John’s Parish Rooms, Long Street.
The idea was to raise the charity’s profile as well as getting sponsorship for sleeping out. The sleepers, which included the new Archdeacon of Wilts, the Rev Ruth Worsley, all brought their own bedding, which ranged from sleeping bags and roll mats to blankets and pieces of cardboard.
The church was cold and the floor was hard and there was also the possibility of a visit from nocturnal creatures and spiders during the sleepout on March 1.
“We came with a common goal but from different places in Devizes and beyond,” said volunteer Caroline McKeown.
“We shared soup and bread before bed and a communal toilet, which was distinctly lacking in a flushing mechanism. Lights out meant that we were left alone in our sleeping bags with time to consider what it must be like to sleep out on a regular basis. The night passed without incident, apart from the many snoring men.
“We all appreciated the experience and the chance to see things from a different perspective.”
To date more than £2,000 has been raised for the project, which supports local homeless and vulnerable adults.
Sponsors can make a donation on line at www.Charitygiving.co.uk, searching for St John with St Mary Devizes.
