Watford organises charity sleepout to help the homeless
The event will take place on the 1st of March
In an effort to support the homeless, Watford Council is partnering with key charities and Watford FC in a sleepout event.
Residents will be encouraged to swap their bed for a sleeping bag and join charities on the grounds of Watford FC for one night only.
Each person will have to pay to participate, with all funds redistributed to four charities working closely with the council: New Hope, One YMCA, DENS, and Herts Young Homeless.
Watford Mayor, Peter Taylor, participated in a similar event a few years back and said: "I do remember waking up in the morning and there being frost on the ground, I could barely feel my toes, and thinking for some people this is the reality of their life."
"It's not uncommon to hear about people that are a similar age to me, in their 40s, or perhaps even younger who have died because of the massive impact it takes on the mental and physical health of sleeping out in cold weather."
"It really just brings it home to you, the reality of their life and the psychological impact of not having somewhere safe and warm to sleep."
The idea is to raise awareness of the struggles faced by rough sleepers on the streets, whether it be the cold weather or the unsafety of sleeping out in public.
Mr Taylor said: "It's not uncommon to hear about people that are a similar age to me, in their 40s, or perhaps even younger who have died because of the massive impact it takes on the mental and physical health of sleeping out in cold weather."
The event will be confined into a safe space on the football grounds and will showcase the work the charities do to support vulnerable individuals.
The council is continuously working hard to ensure no person is left on the street and the organisations working closely with the council can provide the necessary means to look after vulnerable adults.
"...you do see very sad cases where families are literally turning up at the town hall with a suitcase saying 'we're homeless, what can we do?' and you see children and it's heart-breaking."
"Nobody needs to sleep rough in Watford, we always have provisions for people", added Mr Taylor
"It's really important to me because actually we want everyone to lead a good life, and you're not going to live a good life if you're sleeping rough and so there's a lot of support out there."
There are many reasons why people can find themselves without a home, and current pressures are no exception.
Between the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis, more families are found on the brink of poverty, pushing more out on the street every day.
Although pressures are felt nationally, Watford Council ensures provisions are in place to support as many in need as possible.
Mr Taylor said: "We're seeing a big pressure on housing and you do see very sad cases where families are literally turning up at the town hall with a suitcase saying 'we're homeless, what can we do?' and you see children and it's heart-breaking."