A Home for Everyone…

When the chilly nights of October kick in, CEO James Spencer will be giving up the comfort of his own bed to sleep outside, helping to raise money to fight homelessness.  It’s all part of the CEO Sleepout campaign, here James explains why he wanted to get involved.

Why is this a cause so close to your heart?

No-one should have to sleep rough.  Lack of support for homeless people is just inexcusable in today’s society. Watching people walk past a person on the street and not make eye contact makes me feel angry.  Watching my daughters aged 5 and 7 always stopping to talk to homeless people fills me with hope that we can do better.

Have you ever done anything like it before?

No!  I have spent nights in soup kitchens and day centres but I’ve never spent a night on the streets.

What do you think it will be like?

It will be cold, uncomfortable but I’m lucky that I will have a safe home to go to afterwards. I will hopefully never truly know what it’s like to be homeless and want to do all I can to stop others having to go through it.

What do you think you’ll learn?

I am sure it will just reinforce my belief that no-one should ever have to experience the turmoil that accompanies homelessness. There always should be a safe place to sleep, where people are greeted with kindness and support.  We all have to do more to support each other.

CEO Sleepout is a national initiative.  Sign up or find out more here.  If you’d like to support James with sponsorship, please do visit his JustGiving page here.