Byte size taste of sleeping rough

Richard Cutcher • Published 14 Oct 2011 09:30 0 Comments

See also:

SLEEPING rough in Reading town centre is not many people's idea of the perfect Friday night but for thousands of young people there is no choice.

And while the experience of braving the elements with 130 others in Forbury Gardens was not a wholly accurate portrayal of the life of a homeless person it did shine a light on aspects of the uncertainty and displeasure faced across the country every night.

The evening began with the Thames Valley fundraising teams - who have raised more than £100,000 for Action for Children this year - being welcomed to the Apex Plaza by Reading FC manager Brian McDermott and Sally Hanson, who chairs the Thames Valley Byte Night board.

The atmosphere was jovial but as the time approached to take to the streets, anxious voices made themselves heard and tips on how to keep warm and dry did the rounds.

Listening to seasoned campaigners, such as Sally who has been involved with Byte Night since it was founded in 1998, was advisable and there was an assured calm about the old heads which was severely lacking in others, including myself.

Prior warnings of the chill wind, damp air and permanent drone of noise had not been scaremongering and, as a lone sleeper I appreciated an invitation from Chris Sykes, chief executive of Wokingham-based company Volume, to join his team.

For us, settling down in the Forbury Gardens, we felt safe and secluded. For a homeless person safety must be balanced by the need to catch the gaze of generous passers-by.

From 10pm the temperature fell drastically, but with plenty of layers and a decent sleeping bag I felt well protected, and by 2am I was able to catch some sleep.

Six chimes of the St Mary's Church bells woke me, although they narrowly beat the early morning rain, and I reflected on how it would feel to wake every morning knowing there is nowhere to go, no plan, and the cold, unforgiving outdoors will be your home for at least another day.

Having completed the night Chris said: "As a first time Byte Nighter, I had a slight inkling of what to expect sleeping out.

"What I didn't expect was the passion and effort put in by the Byte Night board members, the Action for Children team and all the sleepers to make this event so successful. The atmosphere on the night was electric and to raise what we did, was a fantastic achievement for a great UK cause."

To donate to Action for Children visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/Cutcher

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 13 Oct 11

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle