You may recall that earlier this month, the annual ‘Sleep out’ fundraiser event for Sanctuary Trust had to be cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Since then, Debbie Jeffries, Sanctuary Trust’s fundraiser says “we have received incredible support from the public in light of the cancellation of this year’s Sleep out for Sanctuary Trust due to the pandemic. We had to ‘pull the plug’ on the event last Monday following the latest government guidelines on gatherings”.
Despite the disappointment, a group of sleepers called ‘Credit to them’ decided to go ahead and hold their own sleep out in a friend’s dusty old shed and have raised over £2,500 for the charity with their employers due to match their fundraising efforts..
Zoe Hare, one of the sleepers said that they arrived at 7.30pm and left at 6am.
“It did make us think how lucky we were to be able to go home, after a cold night sleeping out, to a warm house with a nice cosy bed.”
The current amount raised on Just Giving is over £3,286 with cheques still being received.
Debbie added: “We are over the moon with the support we have received from the public in what has been a difficult and disappointing year for fundraising”.
To donate to Sanctuary Trust, please click here for the Just Giving page.
Established in 2011, Sanctuary Trust now operates from two sites in the west of Jersey and can accommodate up to 24 men at any one time. Its aim is to provide shelter and support for men facing homelessness and to help them get their lives back on track, whilst rebuilding their confidence and self-esteem. This includes working with them to address any negative issues, identify job and training opportunities, and, when ready, to help them access independent accommodation.
The Trust is largely funded through donations and fundraising initiatives with every penny raised going to maintain the services it currently provides. In addition to accommodation and support for its male clients, Sanctuary Trust also provides an outreach service. The charity receives no financial support from the States.
