Residents to sleep rough tonight at this year's Watford Sleepout

5:30pm Friday 1st February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Rebecca Perring, Reporter

Residents in Watford will be spending a night under the stars tonight at this year's annual sponsored sleepout to raise money for homeless charities.

Residents will experience a night sleeping rough at the Watford Sleepout , which is organised by YMCA Watford and Watford New Hope Trust who aim to raise awareness of homelessness.

Both organisations hope to raise money for homeless charities to house 300 people a night that would otherwise be homeless.

The sleepout will take place tonight in Charter Place, at 9pm outside the YMCA building in the town centre until sleepers wake on tomorrow morning at 7am.

For more information contact 01923 227 132 or visit www.watfordymca.com.

Comments(13)

OAC Bailiff says...
8:08am Sat 2 Feb 13

theyle need plenty of blankets frosty tonight

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Roy Stockdill says...
10:04am Sat 2 Feb 13

These so-called "sponsored sleepouts" (what an absurd phrase) reek of gesture politics and an infantile stunt. And here we go yet again with that dreary old PC phrase "raise awareness". Can't somebody think of a different form of words?

So they're giving up their cosy beds for just one night - big deal! If they really want to help the homeless why don't they just write a cheque and send it off instead of posturing and massaging their own egos by telling themselves what good little boys and girls they are?

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OAC Bailiff says...
10:30am Sat 2 Feb 13

spot on roy or let them sleep on there sofas and feed them for a week the homeless get nothing for sleeping rough but wouldnt it be good if they did there would be a sudden rise in homelessness

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Hornets number 12 fan says...
10:47am Sat 2 Feb 13

Roy Stockdill wrote:
These so-called "sponsored sleepouts" (what an absurd phrase) reek of gesture politics and an infantile stunt. And here we go yet again with that dreary old PC phrase "raise awareness". Can't somebody think of a different form of words?

So they're giving up their cosy beds for just one night - big deal! If they really want to help the homeless why don't they just write a cheque and send it off instead of posturing and massaging their own egos by telling themselves what good little boys and girls they are?
You said it before I could! This Government are going to be forcing a lot more people into this nightmare soon and this one night token is futile! We all know theres people who sleep rough. This country is actually going backwards in it's attitudes towards the poor and sick etc! We are heading back to the days when kids used to walk around barefoot and got shoved up chimneys!

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S/O man says...
11:45am Sat 2 Feb 13

Well done to all who participated and everyone at WNHT for the work they do all year round.

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Roy Stockdill says...
2:38pm Sat 2 Feb 13

I don't think anyone is criticising the New Hope Trust for the work they do generally, though I tend to suspect some people are homeless through their own fault.

What I said was that the "sponsored sleepout" reeked of gesture politics and was just a pointless stunt that would do nothing to rectify the situation. If people feel strongly about homelessness, then they would be doing more good by writing a cheque.

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S/O man says...
7:02pm Sat 2 Feb 13

Not everyone has money to give but they have the time to give instead, just think about the amount of people that would have sponsored them and have been made aware of the homelessness problem in Watford, the reason they are homeless has nothing to do with it, WNHT have programmes for all people, wherever it is to get people off drink/drugs and help them get back on there feet or helping them get jobs with training programmes.

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Roy Stockdill says...
7:21pm Sat 2 Feb 13

I'm afraid I am very cynical and I usually suspect the motives of those who like to think they are doing good. I reckon so many people look at themselves in the mirror and preen themselves, thinking "Look at ME, I'm helping to save the world. Aren't I a good little boy/girl." In other words, it's more about massaging their own egos and feeling good about themselves than actually helping others.

As OAC Bailiff said, why can't they invite a homeless person to sleep at their place for a few days? I can't see that a gesture of sleeping out for just one night does much for anyone. I used to do it regularly as a lad when I was in the Boy Scouts.

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garston tony says...
3:18pm Mon 4 Feb 13

Roy why don’t you just pen a message stating that you don’t care about anyone but yourself and copy and paste it whenever you feel on commenting on an article like this. That sentiment shines through loud and clear and if you use the same wording it'll save us the bother of actually having to read what new (or not so new) way you have found to express that selfishness.

As to this being a 'pointless stunt' they are raising money, far from pointless I think you and the other moaners would agree. Doing something in return for sponsorship is a way of getting people engaged in ways just asking for or sending money doesn’t and as S/O mentioned some people don’t have money to give but can give of their time.

Being a cynic I think your own cynicism is a front to excuse your own selfishness

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Roy Stockdill says...
3:26pm Mon 4 Feb 13

Actually, I do donate to very carefully selected charities (none whatsoever to do with overseas aid, of course) but I don't make a song and dance about it.

I've contributed to cancer research for years via a magazine subscription and I also help the Peace Hospice now and then, plus I sent a cheque at Christmas to the Sally Army (who help the homeless, I believe).

I still say that indulging in a silly stunt like sleeping out for just one night is gesture politics and has more to do with the egos of those taking part.

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garston tony says...
2:05pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Yes Roy, you've made your views about poor people in unfortunate circumstances in other countries well known. Me thinks that if a charity was set up to allow white westerners the right to go hunting people in refugee camps in Africa your policy of not donating to causes abroad might change….

By your thinking then policemen, firemen, ambulance drivers, doctors and nurses, teachers, lollypop ladies, carers and every other person doing a caring profession or one that helps others is only doing it to look good. Now some ladies I know would agree that firemen especially look dashing but quite clearly your wrong in your assertion which once again was only designed to bring attention to yourself which once again kinda makes you a hypocrite really so nothing new

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Roy Stockdill says...
2:41pm Tue 5 Feb 13

I cannot see that doing a worthwhile job in serving people - and I obviously agree with policemen, firemen, ambulance drivers, nurses and the others you mention - bears any relation whatsoever to indulging in a one-off, puerile stunt which, I say again, reeks of gesture politics. I see no co-relation between the two whatsoever.

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garston tony says...
11:47am Wed 6 Feb 13

I quote ' I'm afraid I am very cynical and I usually suspect the motives of those who like to think they are doing good'. Well I would imagine that a lot of people who become doctors, policemen etc do so motivated by the thought they are doing good. You made the connection Roy, not me

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