Peterborough Cathedral Hosts First Sleep Out to Support Homelessness Services
Dozens Spend the Night in Historic Nave to Raise Funds and Awareness
People in Peterborough are spending the night inside the iconic cathedral to help raise money and shine a light on homelessness.
Tonight marks the first time the sleep out fundraising event has taken place within the nave of Peterborough Cathedral, offering a unique experience for those taking part.
Steven Pettican, one of the organisers, says the event is a chance for people to gain a better understanding of what it feels like to spend a night without the comfort of their own bed.
“We’re here to raise funds to help every person that’s sleeping on the streets in the Peterborough area. We will not let people sleep on the streets,” he said.
Last year, donations helped provide over three hundred hotel nights for people with nowhere else to go.
Pettican says coming together for this event is a powerful way to experience what rough sleeping might be like and to have important conversations in a different setting.
“We try to keep open seven days a week to ensure that any person who’s feeling lost, lonely, scared, or worried about where they’ll sleep tonight has somewhere to go,” he added.
Money raised from tonight’s sleep out will be split between supporting homelessness services in Peterborough and helping to maintain the running of the city’s most famous landmark.
Organisers are hoping to bring in more than the twenty thousand pounds raised at their previous event at Peterborough United’s stadium.