RESIDENTS of BCP are joining together in a beach sleep out to raise money for youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.

The sleep out is taking place in the evening of 16/11/24 at SOBO Beach, located on Southbourne beach.

The organiser, Mark Kedgley states how he wanted to get involved with Centrepoint’s work; however, there were no sleep outs close to BCP, so he decided to set up his own beach sleep out for Dorset residents. 

Mark said: “The BCP area has got a big homeless problem and issue, lots of people talk about it, so this was a way of trying to do something about it.”

Lily Javanshir is participating in the sleep out with her boyfriend.

Her reasoning for participating was: “Homelessness has always been a cause worth contributing to in my opinion.

“The amount of homelessness we have allowed is astounding, and it’s even more staggering when you see the amount of young people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, which is almost 136,000 as of March 2023.”

Mark explained how many people associate homelessness with drugs or alcohol but is not the case.

Mark said: “With Centrepoint it’s more that a kid has to leave home because he falls out with family members.

“It’s a more targeted audience that we want to do something more about with these sleep outs.”

Lily Javanshir is participating in the Southbourne sleep out with her boyfriend. 

Her reasoning for participating was: “Homelessness has always been a cause worth contributing to in my opinion.

“The amount of homelessness we have allowed is astounding, and it’s even more staggering when you see the amount of young people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, which is almost 136,000 as of March 2023.”

Mark states that many people wince when you mention sleeping on concrete floor in an unheated venue, but that’s the reality of many people’s lives.

He said: “It’s only for one night and at least it’s on your terms, homeless people don’t have a choice, that’s why it’s an important event.”

Lily stated that: “My main goal for completing the sleep out, if not to raise money, is to raise awareness.

“Homelessness is one of the only minorities you could become a part of at any moment, so it’s important to stay educated on the matter.

“Donating can make a life changing difference to an unhoused young person, helping enrol them into education, get a job and most importantly find a safe place to stay.”

If you’re interested in attending the sleep out at SOBO Beach or donating, go to the link below for more information:

https://www.justgiving.com/team/sobo-beach-sleepout?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3DlH1peRcYeql7Csej9pVxjsyucakF4qd2mjPQkQYPG3TcdL10fFgoqrQ_aem_eF-XM9sSNgcrDWJNCAHguw