Volunteers sleep rough to highlight the plight of homeless (From York Press)
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Volunteers sleep rough to highlight the plight of homeless
9:30am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News
Sleeping out in Deans Park at York Minster last night were Kirsty Clark, front, with, back, from left, Georgia Gilbert-Smith, Lora Fenton, Clare Usher and Nick Tilney
THE plight of an increasing number of homeless people in York was highlighted last night with about 60 fundraising volunteers sleeping rough in a York park.
Using only sleeping bags and cardboard boxes to keep out the chill, supporters of York homeless charity SASH planned to spend the night in Dean’s Gardens in the shadow of York Minster.
The charity said it had seen a 90 per cent increase in demand for its services over the past year.
Clare Usher, of SASH said: “We have a lot of cardboard boxes which we have been collecting. So basically its just cardboard and sleeping bags.
“We are expecting it to dip to minus one tonight so it’s going to be cold.”
She said the charity could not say why there had been such a steep rise in demand from young homeless people in Yorkshire and said it may simply be down to more people becoming aware of the charity.
However, she added: “In 2011 we saw an increase from 60 per cent up to 90 per cent so I think it can’t just be a case of more people knowing about us.”
