Twenty members of a Wolverhampton men’s mental health charity braved the cold and spent 24 hours on the streets of the city over the weekend
Mandem Meetup’s fifth annual sleepout promotes awareness of male homelessness and raises much-needed cash.
The organisation did eight hours of outreach outside Lloyds Bank in Queen Square before moving to Beatties’ entrance for sleep, shelter and more conversations.
They were joined there by four homeless people, who were fed, given warm clothing and sleeping bags and signposted to local charities to sort out accommodation.
“According to recent estimates, 83% of people living on the street are male, a stark reminder of the disproportionate impact homelessness has on men and the urgent need for tailored support services,” said Christian Denton, lead facilitator of Mandem Meet-up Wolverhampton.
“For many, homelessness is deeply entangled with mental health difficulties, social isolation, and lack of access to safe, consistent support. That’s where we want to step in a help people.
“The sleepout was a very humbling experience. It gave us the chance to reflect on our own lives, some of the challenges we face and, importantly, our achievements.
“There was also a commitment from a lot of our members to hold another Sleepout, as they felt it was a really important way of raising awareness and giving something back.”
The charity provides peer-to-per network support, social activities and football/boxing classes and, importantly, hope for people who might otherwise slip through the cracks.
To meet growing demand for mental health and crisis support, the Mandem team is urging people to continue to get behind its crowdfunder page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/mens-mental-health-and-24-hour-street-sleepout
