NEARLY 40 young people spent a night sleeping rough to raise awareness of the risks and challenges faced by increasing numbers of young homeless people.
The Big Youth Sleep Out took place at Carlton Lodge Activity Centre near Thirsk, hosted by North Yorkshire Youth.
The event took place following an afternoon of activities for local youth groups. Young people who have experienced homelessness first spoke to the group, describing how issues such as abuse and mental illness had resulted in them having to sleep rough.
The young volunteers then spent the night sleeping outdoors with cardboard boxes and sleeping bags.
Panda Gledhill, a North Yorkshire Youth (NYY) development worker for Ryedale and Hambleton South was one of those who took part. She put together a blog about her experience of the night.
She said: “Experiencing a night like this is a powerful way to understand the challenges and risk that homeless people endure every day.
“Our young volunteers taking part learned from young people, where they’ve slept rough, how abuse, mental illness and sexuality – which they have no control over – have made them homeless, how they wish things were different.”
NYY chief executive David Sharp, said: “This initiative is making a huge difference to the young people we work with and helping their understanding that there are other issues to learn here as well as building rafts, jumping in the water, high ropes or the climbing wall.”
The Big Youth Sleep Out was developed by the North Yorkshire County Council youth executive and supported by North Yorkshire Youth, the charity SASH, Scarborough Homeless Prevention Team, mental health and wellbeing organisation Compass Buzz.
Tesco in Thirsk donated a breakfast for those taking part.
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