Stars For The YMCA Sleep Out Under The Heavens

Published on: 7 Feb, 2014
Updated on: 7 Feb, 2014

The YMCA’s sixth Sleep£asy Sleepout took place overnight on Saturday and Sunday February 1 and 2, at Watts Gallery in Compton.  

Although the temperature didn’t drop below zero (like it usually does for the annual sleep out) it was still a long, uncomfortable night for anyone unfortunate enough to be outside.

The morning after the night before: Pictured from left: Diana Roberts (Guildford TIC), Dr Helen Bowcock (High Sheriff of Surrey), Chris Burchell (local economy manager Guildford Borough Council), Perdita Hunt (director Watts Gallery), Pete and Val Brayne, Matthew Bowcock, Herman Bosman and Jannie Vermeulen (South African Congregation), Martyn Whiteman (RHW Solicitors) and Steve Cotney (centre manager and the White Lion Walk, Guildford).

But to raise awareness of youth homelessness and significant funds to combat it, a number of local ‘stars’ signed up to sleep under the stars alongside YMCA CEO Pete Brayne.

Ten people joined him, including his long suffering wife Val, and although one night of rough sleeping cannot be a true taste of homelessness, the consensus was that it was a thought provoking experience.

Diana Roberts, tourism and marketing manager at Guildford Borough Council, said: “I slept out in the open voluntarily to raise money for young homeless.  The key word here is voluntarily! I could have got up any time, packed up and gone home. But I’m no quitter so I stuck it out.

“It wasn’t too cold luckily, but it was very uncomfortable and I didn’t sleep much. Eventually I went home and sat in my comfy chair with a cup of coffee and the Sunday papers. The genuine homeless don’t get that choice.  They have to sleep out night after night with the discomfort, cold, noise and risks.  Humbling thought.”

The reality is that for some young people staying at home is no longer an option. This may be due to a breakdown of family relationships, abuse or simply an abdication of parental responsibility.

YMCA key workers and youth workers do all they can to help young people overcome the problems they face but there are many young people who just can’t make it on their own. They need help from the wider community.

Pete Brayne said: “We are most grateful to the High Sheriff of Surrey,Dr Helen Bowcock, and her husband Matthew, as well as many other well known local people for putting themselves out for the sake of the young people we work with.

“It will be some time before a final fundraising figure is known but the aim is to raise £10,000 – quite a challenge! Please encourage those that slept out by making a donation.

“We are most grateful too to Perdita Hunt and her staff at Watts Gallery for making us so welcome.The venue worked well for the event, and it’s interesting that the founder and our own YMCA founder were contemporaries who were both very concerned for the plight of their fellow man.”

Donations can be sent to Guildford YMCA or made online via links at http://www.lifechangefund.org.uk/sleepeasy.htm

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