Rock Trust celebrates 25 Years of Sleep Out

25 years ago a small group of people voluntarily swapped their comfortable beds to spend a restless night outside Edinburgh's St Andrew's and St George's West Church.

Since then, Rock Trust's Sleep Out has grown into a major annual event. Over 2,000 participants have helped raise over £500,000 towards services for local teenagers and young adults enduring, or who are threatened by, homelessness. Those who do not have a warm home or bed to take for granted.

From its earliest years, Sleep Out gave a tiny glimpse of circumstances that would otherwise be unimaginable to its participants. Alex Smith took part in one of the first Sleep Outs, back in 1995, and recalls it as one of the most memorable experiences from her time at university: "It was a meaningful way for our group of friends to get some perspective on our own lives and a better appreciation of the difficulties faced by those forced onto the streets. We did have fun despite the cold, and most importantly we raised awareness and funds to help ensure other young people didn’t end up sleeping rough". Smith recently got back in touch with Rock Trust and is now on the board of trustees.

Former board member Simon Jaquet, Chair of Edinburgh Youth Work Consortium, would agree with Smith. "Very few people have slept out on the streets in Scotland willingly. For those taking part in a Sleep Out it can be very instructive, giving a small sense of the conditions so many people are forced to experience."

It's this measure of empathy and insight Omar Shabana, of the Edinburgh University Islamic Society, took from last year's Sleep Out: "I was still wide awake when the first droplets of rain started falling on us at 5am. I huddled up deep inside my sleeping bag. I could hear the gentle droplets, it was the same noise you hear on your window on a rainy night. I thought I was completely safe, only to wake up and find that half my body was drenched and the cardboard beneath me was disintegrating." Sabana adds: "I couldn’t believe how much I missed my bed. I couldn’t believe how deeply I slept that morning when I got home. It’s hard to believe that some people don’t have beds to go back to, that by being in that position for so long they could become part of the background, ignored. I don’t know how anyone copes with that. There are so many things that I discovered that night. It was an eye opening experience."

Sleep Out has become a cornerstone of Rock Trust's work. The original night in 1993 raised enough funds to secure a flat, and the charity can now count over 40 places of accommodation. It supports over 400 people, in many ways, every year across Edinburgh and the Lothians. The charity gives advice, education and practical support to those in need. Support which includes drop-in groups and help with new skills – from writing CVs to the skills in the arts, including film-making and music.

This year not only marks a special quarter-century anniversary for Sleep Out but sees it move to St Andrew Square. For the last few years, the event has taken place at Festival Square, and they have held a parallel event exclusively for young people aged 12-18 in the original location on George Street, which continues this year.

For Rock Trust's CEO Kate Polson, Sleep Out is "not about replicating the misery and hardships faced by people sleeping rough. It is just one night in the year." But, it can act as a spark for ongoing social change; raising awareness, funds and in offering a rewarding experience for its participants: "They wake up in the morning after trying to sleep on cardboard in the cold drizzle, and on the way back to their home and a hot shower, they think deeply about the reality of the experience they’ve just had a glimpse of."

The 2018 Rock Trust Sleep Out takes place on 26 October. If you’re interested in participating, check www.rocktrust.org/sleep-out for details.