2 Solent University students have spent a night on the streets of Newport in an effort to raise awareness of the struggles the homeless face sleeping rough in winter.
Jade Light, 29, and Debbie Oakes, 30, are studying social work and noticed the high numbers of people sleeping on the streets, both in Southampton and Newport, during their commute. Initially, they provided them with hot drinks and hand warmers, but as part of their degree requires them to complete voluntary work, they decided they wanted to do more.
Jade, from Cowes and Debbie, from Newport, became volunteers at an Isle of Wight night shelter but discovered that the organisation, which provides food, beds and emotional support to those without a home, only has funding to run until March 2020. They are hoping to change that.
Speaking about the situation, Jade explains:
“We were really shocked at the amount of homeless people we were seeing and we wanted to help in any way that we could, so decided to do a sleep out.”
Debbie adds:
“We knew that we needed to help straight away and we thought this would highlight the struggles of sleeping on the streets, whilst raising awareness and donations for our local shelter.”
As temperatures dropped during the week of the planned sleepover, the students had to really think about their preparations for the night.
Jade says:
“We were concerned about safety and toiletry needs, which also made us think about what was out there for homeless women needing to change sanitary pads or even being able to purchase them and we were really worried about the temperature as that dropped horrendously.”
Jade and Debbie were on the streets on Wednesday 4th December from 22:00 until 06:00, the temperature dropped to -3 centigrade.
Debbie recalls:
“It was terrible.
“We were so cold throughout the night and trying to find somewhere where we weren’t exposed was difficult. Our biggest low point was as we arrived in Newport at 10pm.The sudden burst of embarrassment that loomed over us both was horrible, we felt ashamed.”
The duo have raised almost £800 of their £2000 target. Click here to find out more or to contribute to their cause.
Grow up, think. Many that are homeless can’t find a home because of mass immigration polices. Yet no-one DARES mention that as ‘the reason’.
It is always so simple for the dim, ‘just build more houses’, yet knowing just how hard it was for them to raise a few hundred pounds, IMAGINE the cost for us taxpayers to house the ever expanding third worlds population, let alone the damage to our once beautiful country.
SEE where the ‘real’ problem is, and cure that first.
You both dis an amazing job showing the plight of the homeless .people need to continue to support the night shelter homelessness debt end because the spring arrives a safe warm place to lay your head will always be needed