Big name celebrities such as Mary Berry and Michael Sheen will be making an appearance at this year’s Big Sleep Out.
Organised by the Wycombe Homeless Connection and sponsored by Dreams, the annual event sees participants sleep outdoors in sleeping bags and boxes in a specific location, to help raise awareness of rough sleeping and homelessness in the county.
However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the Big Sleep Out will be done ‘at home’ where those taking part are being encouraged to sleep in a sleeping bag where they wouldn’t usually rest.
Additionally, there will also be a quiz on the night where baker Mary Berry and actor Michael Sheen will ask questions to those taking part, with a local bluegrass band also providing live music.
It will take place on Friday, November 20.
Heather Stanley, the charity’s fundraising and marketing manager said: “This doesn’t have to be at your home, but we’re asking people to swap their bed for a sleeping bag and sleep somewhere where they usually wouldn’t.
“It could be outside in the garden, greenhouse, their car park at work, even their bathtub – somewhere which makes the event meaningful to them, so they can have that moment of solidarity where they have a tiny experience of what it is like to not have a home of their own.
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“We’re also doing the Big Sleep Out Big Quiz which is an online event, and it will be on for a few hours in the evening.
“This is a new thing and if people can’t sleep out, they will have an opportunity to take part in this.”
According to statistics that were released in December 2019, there were around 320,000 homeless people in the UK last year.
However, it is feared that this figure has now increased due to coronavirus, following many people losing their jobs.
The country has also entered its first recession since 2009, with many people losing their jobs as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
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And despite 2020 being a ‘tricky year’ for the Wycombe Homeless Connection, Heather is hoping to raise lots of awareness come November to reduce the homelessness in the county.
She continued: “We have managed to keep going due to the support of the community.
“It has been a very tricky year, but because of the support from our community and from our dedicated volunteers and members of staff, we have managed to keep all of our front line services working.
“We had to shut our shelter early due to Covid, and we had to shut our support centre.
"We have now reopened the latter and we’re working on an appointment-only basis, but if someone would like to come in and see us face-to-face, they can do so safely.
"Our homelessness-prevention hotline has opened up our services to a lot more people in a wider area [such as the whole county].
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"It is vital that people take part in this year’s Big Sleep Out to raise awareness for homelessness.
"Of course, it is a difficult time to do fundraising as a lot of people are facing financial challenges and we are no different.
"So to keep all of our services running and to help people who are homeless or are facing homelessness is vital."
People of all ages and abilities can take part in this year's event.
Visit www.wyhoc.org.uk/bigsleepout2020 for more information.
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