RESIDENTS and businesses braved a night in the cold to raise £32,500 for homeless charity Centrepoint.
The ‘Sleep Out’ event saw more than 100 people swapping their beds for sleeping bags as they spent a night in Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium to raise money and awareness for the charity which aims to tackle youth homelessness.
Chloe Sykes, Centrepoint’s senior fund-raising officer, said: “It shows how generous the people of Barnsley are that this amount of people have come together.
“While it would be impossible for us to replicate the reality of spending a night on the streets with nowhere else to go, participants felt the cold and experienced the discomfort which some homeless young people have had to endure.
“It’s very cold and uncomfortable and there are strangers around, and people might miss their home comforts and their warm beds. But the point is they have a home to go back to.
“The money we have raised will help support young people in Barnsley as they tackle the physical and mental health problems caused by homelessness and gain the skills and confidence to find work or return to education.”
The money raised at the ‘Sleep Out’ last Thursday night surpassed that of last year’s inaugural event, which raised £30,000.
Proceeds from the event, sponsored by The ASOS Foundation and XPO Logistics, will help fund Centrepoint’s work with young people who are affected by homelessness in Barnsley.
Centrepoint supports more than 60 homeless young people every day in Barnsley, providing
accommodation and support to help them turn their lives around by gaining life skills, tackling physical and mental health issues and helping them to move into education or employment.
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MORE than 100 people slept on the cold concrete floor underneath Oakwell’s east stand, and they spoke to The Chronicle on the night about why they were doing so.
Jonathan Charlesworth, 25, said he wanted to raise awareness of what he thought was not a very well known issue.
Jonathan, of Valley Grove, Monk Bretton, said: “People are reluctant to get involved so it’s not quite as well known but it’s there.
“Centrepoint are trying to break the cycle of youth homelessness. These kids don’t have the opportunities they deserve, but it’s not their fault, it’s out of their hands.
“I have children myself and I wouldn’t want them to be in that position.
“It would be unimaginable to have to do this every night. I’ve only been here 20 minutes and I’m already freezing. It’s a massive shock to sleep on a cold concrete floor, it would take a toll on your mental strength to do it every night.”
Sarah Greenfield, 34, said: “It just makes you realise you’re quite lucky, you’ve got a house with heating and a warm bed and food. It brings it home, some people don’t realise how lucky they are.”
Sarah, of Furlong Road, Goldthorpe, took part in last year’s event and her experiences led her to raise money again this year.
“When everybody starts settling down that’s the worst bit,” she said. “It’s really quiet and you’re alone with your own thoughts. You start to imagine yourself in that situation. It scared me to death.”
Janine Bowler, 48, of Woodside View, Bolton-upon-Dearne, said: “We’re sleeping in minus one temperatures in sleeping bags, but we go home to a warm bed.
“When I see homeless people on the street I always try to give them a bit of food or a drink, or just talk to them. But you do empathise more if you’ve experienced what they go through.
“You never know what’s around the corner for anybody and you never see yourself in that position, but it happens.”
Logistics director Tony Carr, 48, led a team from ASOS who camped down for the night.
Tony said: “How difficult life is for homeless people is not something any of us can really appreciate, to cope with this night after night.
“It’s not in the same circumstances as a legitimately homeless person but it gives you a bit more empathy. Waking up in the middle of the night in strange surroundings with strange people is quite unusual.
“Hopefully we’ve raised a lot of money to give Centrepoint the kick it deserves.”
Joanna Longfellow, 32, was at the Sleep Out with a team from MKB Solicitors in Barnsley.
“It’s one night, we can do it,” she said. “It does give you a new insight into what the kids who are homeless, and they are mostly kids, are doing.
“We have got to get up for work in the morning, but some kids will probably be trying to hold down jobs or get up to go to the job centre and present themselves professionally.
“What we’re doing tonight will hopefully make a difference.”
Sam Steele, 29, travelled from Wakefield to take part in the event.
She said: “I have got a home and warmth, and if I’m feeling bad I can get a load of chocolate and cosy up in a blanket, which is something too many people can’t do.
“If there’s one night where they can sit and eat what they want, and we can help them get that bit of support and luxury, then we should do what we can.”
