Can you imagine what it must be like not being able to go home to your nice warm house and bed at then end of the day in the cold winter nights?

The cold reality of a rough sleeper is that their home is a cave, under a viaduct, an old disused building, shop doorways, an industrial waste bin, old toilets anywhere where the rough sleeper feels relatively safe without our rucksacks they have no protection from the elements, sleeping is difficult because of the cold and wet, their health plummets and all too frequently rough sleepers suffer dire consequences.

Nest is now getting established as an independent charity formerly known as Rucksacks4Homeless scheme established by Sowerby Bridge Rotary in 2017. Every year since then, we have given away in excess of 80 rucksacks to people who have been forced to sleep on the streets. Each rucksack costs £85 and contain a 3/4 season mummy style sleeping bag, bivvy bag, foil backed sleeping mat, thermal hat, scarf, waterproof gloves, thick long woollen socks, flask and hygiene pack containing a number of personal hygiene products, these help provide the rough sleeper with a sense of pride, dignity and knowledge that the community does care about their situation.

This rucksack probably saved my life"

Colin - Rotary has helped me build, build, build my life"

My life has a sense of purpose, when I am down I think of you guys and it gives me a lift"

Powerful statements of how these rucksacks quite literally save lives.

The rucksacks are distributed via the homeless organisations, by receiving a rucksack it is the first step of intervention in assisting these rough sleepers.

Please look at the background and true story of Colin here -

https://www.rotarygbi.org/magazine/june-july-2022/the-real-bag-for-life/

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