Claire Barrett
Claire's No Booze till Brexit
Fundraising for Caring in Bristol
Story
I’m attempting the mammoth task giving up alcohol until March 29th - the proposed deadline for our withdrawal from the EU. That's a quarter of a year without a drink! I’ll be raising money for the wonderful local homeless charity Caring in Bristol. I’ll be donating £50 a month of my own money, and I plan to volunteer by doing a couple of 10:30pm - 8am night shifts at Caring in Bristol’s 365 night shelter.
So, why Brexit?
As the reality of what a hard or no deal Brexit might mean started to unfold, the idea of stockpiling food in preparation for the potential chaos seemed less ridiculous. I had joked about giving up alcohol to save money in preparation, but the more I thought about it the more I realised what a fortunate position I was in compared to many. To have the luxury of giving up a luxury in order to save money is not a choice available to some of the poorest in this country.
As a result of the severe policies this government has enforced, including prolonged austerity, universal credit, cuts to essential support services, underfunding of the NHS and the police, and now Brexit; the most vulnerable in our society are rapidly being plunged into systematic poverty and destitution.
As more and more individuals, families and communities feel the effects of increased financial instability, charities like Caring in Bristol have become critical in making a difference to the lives of people forced to live in temporary accommodation or sleeping on the streets.
Caring in Bristol is an incredible charity which delivers projects around homelessness that engage an amazing community of volunteers, bringing people together to make change happen. You can read more about the work that they undertake here...
www.caringinbristol.co.uk/what-we-do/