Nearly £17,000 has been donated so far following the mass bed-down by the Eden Biomes which took place last month (November 2021) in aid of homelessness charities St Petrocs and The Amber Foundation.
Seventy-five people took part in near-zero conditions and the financial result is the best since Eden began hosting the annual event seven years ago.
Cornwall-based St Petrocs helps people experiencing homelessness. The Amber Foundation runs three residential centres supporting young people facing complex issues including homelessness and unemployment. Both charities say the big boost in funds at a crucial time of year is potentially life-saving.
Lois Wild of St Petrocs said: “This is the highest amount raised through the Eden Sleepout and funds are still coming in - which is just amazing and so helpful.
“We’ve started our winter service now and people are safely accommodated during this cold weather. The funds from Sleepout enabled us to start it early in response to the increasing demand.
“Last year we supported over 1,000 people. This year the number is going to be much higher. We are likely going to see a 25 per cent increase in client numbers. In October we worked with 101 people sleeping rough. The number of people we have seen has increased month on month dramatically since the summer.”
Becky Fry, Amber’s Fundraising Manager, said: “The money raised from Sleepout helps us provide a safe place to stay and a festive Christmas for young people from across the South West. We are immensely grateful for the support from Eden and to the brave supporters who raised money for us at the Sleepout for helping us fund this.
“More young people are needing housing and support than we have seen for several years. The numbers of young people needing housing is only part of the challenge we are facing – their needs are more complex and many have struggled for longer.
“We see no sign of this slowing over the winter – in fact we are bracing ourselves for it to get worse.”
The latest Sleepout included a compelling talk by acclaimed author Raynor Winn, who was suddenly made homeless in her fifties and has since written two bestselling books, The Salt Path and The Wild Silence, based on her and husband Moth’s experiences. Raynor has supported Sleepout over several years.
Groups of people from companies including Rick Stein’s, Watson-Marlow, St Ewe Eggs and Wild West Comms were among the fundraisers on the night.
Participants had the chance to join illustration classes led by Helen Trevaskis and Rosie Flatt, graduates of Falmouth University’s prestigious Illustration BA and two of the organisers of StreetDraw24 - an annual 24-hour drawing event and exhibition to raise awareness and funds for St Petrocs.
Eden’s Development Director Dan James said: “Massive thanks again to all the hardy fundraisers and all who donated to these two great charities who continue to do so much for homeless people in our region. It’s very encouraging to hear that this one event can make a real difference to so many people at this time of year.”
Sleepout is due to be held again at the Eden Project on November 10, 2022.
To donate to The Amber Foundation, go to Please Donate to The Amber Foundation (enthuse.com)
To support St Petrocs Winter Appeal go to: https://www.stpetrocs.org.uk/Appeal/winter-appeal-2021-22
