Scouts sign up for #EssexSleepOut!
55th Leigh-on-Sea Scout Troop are Sleeping Out this October to raise money for HARP!
The group, based at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Leigh-on-Sea, are taking part in The Really Big South Essex Sleep Out on October 7th, swapping their beds for sleeping bags to raise money for local homeless people.
They are planning to sleep at Belchamps Scout Activity Centre, who are offering scout groups taking part in the Sleep Out spaces on their campsite for the night. Alan Celino, Scout Leader, said: “I think it’s a fantastic way to introduce the scouts to homelessness and give them an opportunity to do something that can help, and we hope other scout groups will join us. While some may sleep in tents, we won’t; we will make shelters with cardboard and other materials that you might find on the streets, and we will try and make it as close to sleeping rough as we can.”
The event takes place on the run up to World Homeless Day (Tuesday 10th October), which is a time to think about those less fortunate and an opportunity to reach out and make a difference. Henry, 13, from Chalkwell, said: “The Sleep Out will give us all a chance to see how it feels to sleep rough and be in other people’s shoes for a night. I am looking forward to building some shelter but it would be exhausting if I had to do it every night. I hope we can raise £250 for HARP. That would really make sleeping out all night worthwhile!”
The Really Big South Essex Sleep Out takes place on or around Saturday 7th October and it is free to sign up, just visit www.essexsleepout.org or call HARP on 01702 615000.
