Covid-safe sleep out for homeless charity 

Swindon homeless charity Threshold's annual BIG Sleep Out for the Homeless will go ahead - in a covid-conscious way.

Because of the pandemic it will not be possible to host the BIG Sleep Out in the way they ordinarily do. 

Instead Threshold are asking that the public, families, businesses and supporters join together to host events within their own support bubbles on Friday, 11 December from 8pm to 7.30am. 

This year Threshold will host their first ever ‘Supporting the Homeless Bubbles’ event and are inviting the public to join in by registering their own ‘support bubble’ to participate from work or home.

Participants can sleep out in their garden, their garage or sitting up in their living rooms with the radiator off - in essence, turning their minds towards the plight of the homeless.

Michael Keenan, Chief Development Officer of Threshold, said, “For over 48 years, Threshold has made a meaningful difference to the lives of so many homeless people and at present, during this most unprecedented, dangerous and challenging time, continuing to provide our unrelenting frontline support is absolutely critical to those experiencing homelessness. 

"Now more than ever before, the public solidarity with our mission and their financial fundraising that supports our work is so very crucial to helping us to continue to deliver care, over and above what could normally be expected in any given year."

During the pandemic, leading homelessness services around the UK, working with local authorities in receipt of unprecedented support from central government, responded to the ‘Everyone In’ directive in March and worked tirelessly to accommodate and support the homeless. 

At present, from the onset of the latest lockdown, an ‘Everyone In’ directive has not been made by central government. At present there remain individuals sleeping rough on Swindon’s streets and Threshold remains their primary contact for face-to-face support during the present lockdown, just as it was in the first one.

Threshold has a fundraising target for this year's event of £50,000. 

This year has seen Threshold experience an unprecedented call on the services it provides to support the homeless and yet at the same time has been unable to conduct the numerous fundraising events it would ordinarily undertake during the year to raise the critical funds needed to support the charity’s activities.

Registering support and participation for Threshold’s Big Swindon ‘Supporting the Homeless Bubbles’ event is very easy to do via https://www.thl.org.uk/events/thresholds-big-swindon-supporting-the-homeless-bubbles/

People can also let friends know by joining the Facebook event @THLSwindon