Warwick Politics Society sleep out for the homeless

Warwick’s Politics Society are holding their annual sleep-out event on February 26 in support of Coventry Cyrenians charity.

More than 20 students will spend one night sleeping on the streets of Coventry in order to raise awareness of the struggles faced by homeless people every night.

The event will take place in Coventry Memorial Park and will begin with a short talk from charity workers from Coventry Cyrenians to the participants.

The only materials the participants are allowed to bring are a sleeping bag and clothes they come dressed with. They will have no heaters and are required to keep their mobile phones switched off.

Coventry Cyrenians provides a range of high quality services for disadvantaged people in Coventry and Warwickshire. Their objective is to improve the quality of life for homeless people and to empower them to live as independently as possible.

The charity aims to help people rebuild their lives and insists that they do not accept views of the homeless that have tended to focus on negative stereotypes.

Politics Society chose to work with Coventry Cyrenians as their charity partner for the society because of the wide range of important services they offer to vulnerable people in the community.

Ciaran McCormick, a second-year Politics student and Publicity Officer for the Warwick Politics Society said: “I am hoping that the sleep-out will allow me to look beyond my privilege into the experience of the vulnerable homeless a matter of miles away from Warwick.

Last year participants were humbled and moved by the sleep out. They commented that it was cold, impossible to sleep and changed the way they saw the homeless.”

Warwick Politics Society aims to raise £2500 through their annual sleep-out.

Visit their team fundraising page here to support Warwick Politics Society and donate online