Armed with the clothes on my back and a sleeping bag, on Saturday night I walked into Norwich city centre (Bethel Street) to take part in the YMCA Sleepeasy, by sleeping rough on the streets. Gathered with about 20 other people, including employees, volunteers and even trustees, we set up camp using a variety of cardboard boxes! I teamed up with a fantastic guy called Adrian who was a YMCA resident who gave up his own bed to sleep out with us and kept me amused throughout the night.
I stayed up till about midnight chatting, updating facebook and moving around to keep warm before finally getting into my sleeping bag. I was glad it wasn’t snowing like the night before and although dry, it was still very cold. Covered in my sleeping bag, my face was still exposed to the air and so the only way to keep my head warm was to crunch up and sleep on my side, burying my face in my hands and the hood of my sleeping bag. I managed to nod off, but for intermittent lengths of time. Sleeping on a cardboard layer was better than the concrete underneath but still not comfortable. At various intervals I would wake up, move turn on my back to stop my side from aching and then feel cold again. I could only seem to be warm enough to sleep in the crunched up state, so eventually returned to it and would nod off again until my next awake point.Time turned slowly and I thought of all the encouragements and support I’d received which spurred me on. I was painfully aware that for those who sleep like this every night, they would have little or no support, feeling isolated and alone. No small wonder why so many use alcohol to numb the loneliness, not to mention making the temperature bearable enough to sleep in.
At about 6.30am I finally got out of my bag and initially felt dizzy from a lack of sleep. My sleeping bag was sparkling from a frost and I later learnt that the temperature through the night was somewhere between minus 3 and minus 4. Others were already up and moving around trying to warm themselves.A bit chat with other people about their night, some clear up of our cardboard and a bacon roll kindly provided by the hostel staff and I was finished. An hour later and I was home, in the warm and with my family appreciative of all I have and in awe of how anyone could lead a life in the way I had spent one night.
Having worked and supported vulnerable young people and families over the past 6 years, I know how easy it is to get to this stage and feel that no-one cares or that anything can change for the better. But I know that people do care and that things can change - but only if we are prepared to share our resources amongst those in need.
So please sponsor me to sleep rough so that others don't have to.
Nick
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