Charity sleep-out to take place at Lincoln Cathedral

YMCA Lincolnshire are inviting members of the public to camp out on Lincoln Cathedral’s Dean’s Green to raise awareness for homeless people in Lincolnshire.

Since 2010, rough sleeping has increased by 120 per cent across England. YMCA Lincolnshire started the now annual Sleep Easy event wanted to raise awareness and funds for people at risk of homelessness. The charity now house and support over 400 people a year across Lincolnshire.

Between 7pm on 7th March and 7am on 8th March, fundraisers will sleep out in cardboard boxes and sleeping bags. 

Helen Wright, YMCA Lincolnshire’s Director of Housing, said: “One of the things that always stands out for me is that we get to go home after it and have a warm bath or shower.”

“What we need to remember is that for those actually rough sleeping, this isn’t a possibility and they have to do this night after night.”

The charity hopes that the event will give people an opportunity to “experience a small fraction of what homeless individuals face on a nightly basis.”

This is the event’s 15th year. All the funds raised will go towards supporting the charity’s efforts to prevent homelessness, an initiative which includes measures such as emergency accommodation and life skills programs.

A registration form can be found on the YMCA website.