On Saturday 30thMarch, Sutton Borough Conservative Future is hosting a rough sleeping event to raise money for the homeless charity Shelter. It will begin at 9pm and go through the night.
So, why are we doing this? The London Assembly has put homelessness relief high up on its agenda, and as part of the London-wide campaign to end homelessness, we in Sutton are doing our bit to help. Although there is not a large visible homeless problem in the London Borough of Sutton, the reason we are doing this is to raise awareness of a hidden problem. Whilst the number of visible homeless is low, Shelter also works in homelessness prevention and poor housing. The number of homelessness relief applications within Sutton Council is rising; these are exactly the sorts of problems that Shelter seek to help with, and that London Assembly are seeking to address.
So, what is going to happen on the night? Well we plan to meet at Boots on Wallington High Street at 9pm on 30th March to set up our sleeping gear and get introduced to everyone. There will be a speech from the event organiser, Elliot Colburn, and from the London Assembly Member for Croydon & Sutton, Steve O’Connell, who will talk about what City Hall is doing to end homelessness in the Capital. There may also be speeches by others throughout the night. We also plan to have a group discussion about what people think Sutton Council should be doing to help end homelessness.
So, who can come? Anyone! This is a community event and everybody is welcome. We understand that some people may be apprehensive about staying out all night, but we would like to encourage people to attend, even if just for a few hours. For those who are worried about sleep, don’t panic, we ARE planning on actually sleeping, and don’t plan on keeping you up too late!
So, how are we collecting the money? The main fundraising event is the actually event, and those attending will be expected to make a donation on the day. The minimum donation we suggest is £1 for attendees;£2 for members; £5 for candidates and politicians. However, you can also donate here at; http://www.justgiving.com/sleepoutforsuttonshomelessOR by texting SNCF50 followed by how much you want to donate to 70070. You can also register you attendance by visiting our Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/419223704792661/?fref=ts, Eventbrite page: http://sleepoutforsuttonhomeless.eventbrite.com.
Hope to see you there!
Elliot ColburnChairman of Sutton Borough Conservative Future
Conservative Candidate for Wallington North in the Local Elections for Sutton Council 2014
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