Charity sleep-out ruined by drunks (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Charity sleep-out ruined by drunks

10:00am Monday 30th January 2012 in News By Helen Morton

The local Basingstoke YMCA sleep-out

DRUNKEN louts forced a group of fundraisers to cut short a sleep-out in Basingstoke town centre.

As temperatures plummeted, eight hardy souls from Basingstoke YMCA intended to spend a whole evening sleeping out with just cardboard boxes to protect them from the wintry conditions.

Six residents, aged between 18 and 26, and two student social workers from YMCA, Eastrop Way, set up camp at 8pm, hoping to spend the entire night there to raise money for a charity project.

Unfortunately, some unwanted attention from drinkers in the town centre meant they had to abandon their sleep-out at 2am after becoming concerned for their safety. However, they still raised nearly £600 in sponsorship.

The money will go towards sending two of the YMCA residents who took part in the sleep-out – Lewis Smith, 20 and Aaron Haigh, 26, – on an educational expedition to Africa.

Winchester University student social worker Hana Hill, 21, who organised the event alongside fellow student Lauren Welch, 24, said they were proud of what they managed to achieve.

She said: “We had some really good reactions from passers-by earlier in the evening and it’s a shame that people had to try and spoil it. But we’re still very proud of the residents who were absolutely fantastic. It was incredibly cold and none of us got much sleep, but it was a real experience.”

Lewis and Aaron will be joining other YMCA residents from around the country on an expedition to some of South Africa’s most remote communities in the west of the country.

The Inner Journey project, run alongside the Prince’s Trust, will see disadvantaged young people go on a three-week expedition in May to areas affected by HIV, AIDS, poverty and other world issues.

Hana said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity which gives disadvantaged young people a unique and hopefully inspirational experience.”

To sponsor the trip visit www.justgiving.com/Inner-Journey.