Team sleep out to raised funds for Herts Young Homeless
Echelon team members Jenny Lloyd, Aaron John and Vanessa Ainsworth took part in the St Albans Sleepout to raise much-needed funds for Herts Young Homeless (hyh).
Jenny was joined by her granddaughter Ella Kay,16, and Vanessa by her partner Richard Munden as they spent the night sleeping in their gardens to raise much-needed funds for hyh.
It was a sobering experience for our team as they bedded down out in the open.
“This is an important charity which Echelon supports through various activities throughout the year,” said Aaron. “For me personally being outside overnight for just one night was a real challenge. The weather, temperature, and general environment was alien, but more than that the sense of being alone and the sounds of the night sometimes made me feel uneasy and I was in a “safe” location.
“Sleeping on the streets is not a place for anyone, so for a young person it must be horrific, and we must do what we can to stop this from happening.”
Jenny added: “Sleeping out overnight was not a pleasant experience, it was cold, damp and the thought of having no family frightened me for the young people out on the streets who are alone and vulnerable. My granddaughter Ella slept out with me and it is heart-breaking that children as young as her are sleeping on the streets.”
Vanessa, who previously worked with children in care, said that the issue of homelessness is very close to her heart.
“It was damp, cold and really unpleasant, and that was with us having the benefits of toilets and able to get a hot drink and using garden furniture to sleep on,” she said. “The people that are homeless don’t even have these little luxuries. I would be terrified if my kids ended up in dangerous situations like this and hope that whatever we can do to raise the profile of the charity will give them some added funds to support the amazing work they are doing.”
Our Group CEO Mathew Baxter is a trustee for hyh and our team raise money for the charity throughout the year.
