Bovington Tank Museum hosting 'humbling but powerful' charity event

The Big Sleep gives people 'a small taste of what homelessness is like'

Author: Jamie GuerraPublished 4th Jan 2023

Alabaré’s flagship charity event, The BIG Sleep, will take place at Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset for the first time ever.

Alabaré is a homeless charity that hosts BIG Sleep events all over the country at extraordinary venues like Salisbury Cathedral, Gwrych Castle – otherwise known as the Welsh I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here campsite - and now the Bovington attraction.

The Tank Museum is opening up the Cold War Hall to allow Alabaré’s fundraisers to sleep amongst an array of post-WWII tanks and visit the Battlegroup Afghanistan exhibition.

Last year, 140 young people ‘slept rough’ inside Salisbury Cathedral, now the charity is encouraging more people to give up their warm, comfy beds for one night, on January 20th, for cardboard, sleeping bags and concrete floors to get “a small taste of what homelessness is like”.

Events Manager at Alabaré, Rebecca Mullen called the experience 'humbling but so, so powerful':

“It’s not every day that people want to sleep rough, especially in winter, but at least you know when you’re cold that you get to wake up the next morning and go home, warm up, get into bed if you need to, all the things that are not available when you’re homeless.”

Alabaré supports roughly 2000 people a year with housing, education, skills training and mental health advice.

This particular Big Sleep is raising funds for war veterans as research suggests that one in ten people on the street were veterans.

Alabaré have been working alongside homeless people in the South West for over 30 years

Rebecca said:

“Often, we find that they are older gentlemen who served well but when they came out of the military and then life got overwhelming, through a relationship breakdown, debt or staying employed.

“We are there for those guys and girls who have previously served, and we want to encourage them to get off the street. Let’s help them get back the sense of dignity and opportunity to move forward with their lives.”

Participants this year will visit the war memorial in Bovington and pay their respects to those that have served, given their lives and those struggling today.

Rebecca said:

“We know what we do saves lives, so your one night of uncomfortable will make someone else can turn their back on homelessness for good.”

You can find out more about the Big Sleep at Bovington on the Alabaré website.

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