The Big Barnet Sleepout 2022
The Big Barnet Sleepout 2022!
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The Big Barnet Sleepout 2022! 〰️
The Big Barnet Sleepout took place on the 26th March with many people taking part all over Barnet.
TiB and HAB were really excited to add several different sleepout options so that everyone could take part from wherever they were. We had a group sleeping outdoors, and newly this year, we had people taking part from their homes, gardens, workplaces and schools.
“But what was it like, outdoors on the night?”
Lisa Bard, trustee of TiB, shares her account of the night with us
“I was able to get up and get a hot drink upstairs before returning to my sleeping quarters, the people we support don’t have that luxury on the streets”
It was a strangely warm night in March when people from many communities in Barnet came together to sleep under the stars in a car park in Edgware so they could raise much needed funds for Together in Barnet (TiB) and Homeless Action Barnet (HAB).
We congregated upstairs to enjoy a communal supper prepared by Marian Cohen, trustee of HAB, and live music from an old school singer as well as hear from the chairs of both charities - Darren Haringman of TiB and John Bier of HAB. After dinner, the sleep outers swapped stories of their involvement with each charity and slowly drifted downstairs to bed down for the night.
I brought some cardboard and cushions from my garden chairs to put under my sleeping bag. I was one of the last to settle down. It was quite warm at the start of the night but I was so excited I could only doze for a couple of hours. I counted myself lucky that I was able to get up and get a hot drink upstairs before returning to my sleeping quarters, the people we support don't have that luxury on the streets. During the night it became very windy and the temperature dropped significantly about 4am. I was so tired at this point that I slept soundly and had to be waken at 7.30 in the morning when many people had already had the delicious breakfast provided. A very satisfying night out on the tiles of the car park raising awareness and much needed funds for the only charities in Barnet supporting our increasing population of people experiencing homelessness.
A HUGE well done to everyone involved and thank you to those that donated!
We don’t yet have the total figure for donations received, as amazingly, we still have some groups taking part and organising sleepouts.
A big thank you to our sponsors: Non-stop Action! and Places for People.
