Saturday night (August 17) saw around 40 people rug up and sleep rough for one night for the inaugural Big Byron Sleepout, which was held to raise money for frontline service, the Fletcher Street Cottage.
Organiser Mandy Nolan says she was thrilled with the good weather, but adamant that the sleepout would have happened regardless.
She said, ‘One night can’t show us what it’s like to sleep rough, but we know that many people with chronic illness and health complaints face bad weather and lack of safety every night. This shouldn’t be the job of community – we need government to step up and fully fund services like Fletcher Street Cottage and public housing! Homelessness is something we could solve tomorrow. It just needs the political will.’
She says the Big Byron Sleepout has raised close to $25,000, with donations still coming in.
Fletcher Street Cottage provides essential support to those experiencing, or at risk, of homelessness. It offers food, showers, laundry facilities, social work, support services, and a sense of community.
The Byron Community Centre runs the service, and to remain fully operational, requires $800,000 per annum to operate four days a week.
According to the latest NSW Street Count data, the Byron community has more rough sleepers than Sydney. Despite this, Fletcher Street Cottage is not fully funded and relies heavily on fundraisers and donations to meet its operational budget.
For more info, visit www.byroncentre.com.au.
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