Simon Hughes Sleeps Out for Robes
December 6, 2011 1:00 PM
On Friday night Simon Hughes MP took part in a sponsored Sleepout at Southwark Cathedral. The Sleepout, taking place in Simon's constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark, was in aid of Robes, a charity dedicated to helping homeless people. The Sleepout was designed to raise awareness of the difficulties facing homeless people this winter, and to raise money to provide them with support.
Despite the cold weather, Simon managed to have a good night's sleep. Madeleine Sturrock, Chair of the Robes Sleepout, suggested that Simon may have slept longer than anyone else as a result of the long hours he puts in each week as an MP!
She also stated that sponsorship from members of the public to Simon and other participants in the Sleepout means that Robes are on track to meet their funding target of £40,000. Robes receive no regular or public funding and rely on donations from churches, individuals and businesses. For this reason, events like the Sleepout are extremely important for Robes to meet its operating cost and provide vital services.
Nineteen churches and over 350 volunteers currently participate in the Robes project. Each night of the week a different church provides a hot meal, a bed and shelter to fifteen guests. Until the Robes project started, there were no church-run emergency night shelter projects in London south of the river.
Simon commented:
"The Robes Project serves a vital local need in providing shelter for homeless people, and also it raising public awareness of the difficulties they face in London. It's great that so many dedicated volunteers and local churches are able to work together to provide respite care and long term assistance for these people."
The event also included entertainment from Comedian Jo Brand, who lives locally and is a strong supporter of Robes.
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