Between the 29th of February and the 1st of March, I took part in the ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ 24-hour sleep-out event, organised by the Churches in Monmouth Housing Group and Reach Out. Myself, numerous dedicated Monmouth Comprehensive students, and representatives including HM Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent spent the night exposed to the elements on Monnow Bridge, all in the name of drawing attention to pressing issues such as poverty and hidden homelessness.
During the day, a stall was set up on the bridge with music, children’s activities, and, most importantly, petitions and sign-up forms for volunteers. A few especially-committed students from MCS spent a whole 24 hours at the event, and made commendable efforts in spreading awareness of the crucial issues the event focused on.
The dates of the event, from the 29th of February to the 1st of March, represented a key piece of symbolism. The event aimed to support an ‘engagement ring’ (linked to the Leap Day) - a ‘ring’ of services with a central hub from which whoever is in need of support can access everything they require, without wasting precious time bouncing around the system. Furthermore, March 1st marks the end of meteorological winter - and equally the end of the protection of the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol over rough sleepers. At midnight at the beginning of the month we gathered in the centre of the bridge and extinguished our lights, taking a minute’s silence to appreciate how our sleep-out experience is, in fact, felt daily and nightly by so many across Monmouthshire.
Numerous students, myself included, gathered sponsorships for our participation in the event. A significant sum of money was raised to be donated to various homelessness and poverty-related charitable organisations to make a real impact in tackling the problems afflicting those who often struggle to make their voices heard.
It’s so easy for us to sit in our homes and be relaxed by the patter of a shower on the window, but spending a night in gale-force wind and torrential rain is something we’ll never forget. These events are extremely beneficial in raising awareness and rallying support for the homeless or poverty-stricken, and my eyes personally were opened through my experience of a mere number of hours of the tribulations a rough sleeper has to face. I would implore everyone to reflect on the privilege of having a roof over one’s head - and I look forward to taking part in other events in the future to highlight this social divide.
Matt Keenan