Sleeping rough to help the homeless

Politicians, business people, students and people of all ages from across Cardiff will be giving up their warm beds on Friday 2 December to sleep rough on our city’s streets to raise money and awareness about the plight of homeless people in Cardiff.

The winter sleepout, organised by Huggard, a Cardiff-based charity which aims to empower homeless people to achieve their maximum potential in life, will be opened by Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan and the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Taking part in the event will be the Cardiff Lib Dems, staff from Lexus, John Lewis and many individuals from across the city. Sleeperz Hotel will be supporting the event by making a donation for every room that they let on the night.

Richard Edwards, Chief Executive of Huggard says:

"In the last year we have seen a 50% increase in the number of people accessing our service who would otherwise be forced to sleep rough if we were not able to help them. Our annual sponsored sleepout is important both in raising vital funds for our work and also in ensuring that rough sleeping remains high on the public agenda, particularly in times of austerity. The commitment of those who take part, being prepared to experience the reality of a winter’s night of sleeping on the streets, is truly remarkable. I am grateful to everyone who takes part in this night and to all those who support the event through sponsorship."

The event takes place at the time when Cardiff’s new Homelessness Single Assessment Centre is being constructed and is due for completion in 2012. This flagship partnership development between the Council, Huggard and Hafod Housing Association is a multi-million pound venture that will focus on tackling homelessness in Cardiff. Howard Gough, Huggard’s Chairman explains:

"The provision of these new buildings will make a real difference to our work, but we must remember that we have a huge task in raising money to run the services that the building will accommodate. In these hard times it is fantastic that the communities of Cardiff will rally round to support our work."

This event and Huggard’s work can be supported by visiting www.justgiving.com/Huggard