Sleepout aims to challenge stigma of homelessness

A man who experienced homelessness will be sharing his story at a sleepout to raise awareness about the scale and complexity of the issue and how vital services can be.

Swindon charity Threshold said nearly 1,000 people experienced homelessness in the Wiltshire town last year, about half of whom were children.

Threshold wants to spread the message homelessness could happen to anyone and is encouraging people to spend a night sleeping outdoors to "challenge stigma".

"One of our key messages is that homelessness rarely happens by choice. It often happens because of a single life event that could happen to any of us," said Threshold's chief executive Ben Harman.

"Things like a job loss, an illness, being given notice by your landlord, those are the reasons why people often experience a housing crisis," he added.

Darren Diprose fell into addiction and homelessness after his mother suddenly died at the age of 17.

He will share his story and how he benefitted from homelessness services at the sleepout and is keen to stress how easy it can be to end up in difficult situations.

"I fell out with a friend and that just meant that I was homeless at the age of 17 in a very bitter winter," said Diprose.

He remained homeless for about five months and would shelter in a hospital toilet for a few hours a day to keep warm, he added.

Diprose eventually ended up in accommodation with other homeless people and he fell into drug addiction.

"From daily drinking alcohol, drugs became a next step and it was all about blotting out the reality of my situation," he said.

Eight years of addiction followed, until he got to the point when he was ready to get support from services.

"Through the kindness of the service workers I was able to engage with, as well as my own sheer determination, I was able to go on and get clean and discover new tools," he said.

The 59-year-old said the services enabled him to access college and university, where he was able to get a degree and discover a career.

Threshold supports people experiencing and at risk of homelessness by providing accommodation to 86 adults on any given night.

Harman warned people that the sleepout later would be uncomfortable and cold.

"What we're asking people to remember is that for a lot of people, this isn't just one night," he added.

The sleepout begins at Lawn Manor Academy at 18:00 GMT and will run until 07:00 on Saturday.

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