21 March 2017
On Thursday 16 March, 33 students and four staff slept rough to raise awareness of the challenges of homelessness, as well as money for Oxford Homeless Pathways.
No tents, no comforts. Just the outside world, some cardboard and a sleeping bag.
We were hoping for nice weather, but instead got ten minutes of rain and the coldest night of the week: with temperatures plummeting to just 4 degrees. Some boys had to dust the frost off their sleeping bags in the morning!
In spite of this, there was a real sense of community as we scouted out pitches and set up camp for the night. In the morning, we relied on the rest of the school community for breakfast: not knowing whether we would get enough to eat or have to go to school hungry. Luckily, Abingdon students and staff stepped up, bringing in a range of food to set us all up for the day.
Although not a pleasant experience, it was certainly a memorable one, with one student commenting “It was a real eye opener into the lives of the homeless and made me appreciate how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads and a warm bed.”
The event raised over £1000 for Oxford Homeless Pathways.
