Sleep. Sponsor. Share.

More participants and sponsors needed! The Big Sleep raises funds for The Seaview Project in St Leonards on Sea; a rare organisation, caring for many people on the margins of society who are in need of vital help and support. Hard to believe, but there’s nothing like it in the surrounding area. EVERY PENNY raised from The Big Sleep goes towards keeping the project running. Zelly Restorick speaks to Sue Burgess from Seaview about The Big Sleep, how the project helps people, how homelessness is on the increase – and how more people are needed to sign up and donate to this annual fund raising event. PLEASE HELP! 

The Big Sleep: participants raise sponsorship and sleep out overnight in a cardboard box through til 7am, when hot drinks and porridge are supplied.

To find out more, to participate or support, go to The Big Sleep 2017.

Why is The Big Sleep in Hastings different to other sleep-outs?

The Big Sleep Hastings is probably one of the toughest mass sponsored sleep-outs in the country; as far as we are aware, it is the only sleep-out where people actually bed down with only a cardboard box for protection. Most sponsored sleep-outs take place under cover with protection from the wind and rain. Those who took part last year had to endure an early morning downpour and many boxes had collapsed by dawn, so its not an easy challenge.

People can either take part and sleep out – or – if the idea of a cardboard box feels too much, they can support the campaign by donating. 

Preparations are going well for the Big Sleep this year and we have around 100 people signed up to sleep out, but there are still places left and we are urging people to sleep out by registering at The Big Sleep Registration. 

For those people who don’t want to sleep-out but would like to support the event and sponsor us, it’s possible to do so by visiting Seaview’s The Big Sleep 2017  My Donate page.

What’s happening on the night?

The Live event is open to all and is a free event. This year we have The Rufus Stone Band and Dr Savage TV and radio presenter, Kevin Devine will host. Exclusively for sleepers is an unplugged acoustic set by award winning blues man, King Size Slim and the bedtime story will be read by local entertainer Brad Gross.

The Big Sleep Competition

We are offering a prize for the best photo from the night. To enter simply upload to social media using the hashtag #bigsleephastings and we’ll choose a winner to receive a free haircut from Mitchell and Millyard Hair Design, plus a Big Sleep hat each for two runners up.

We’ll also have Big Sleep merchandise for sale on the night, prices from £1- £5. Big Sleep hats, glow in the dark wristbands and travel mugs.

We’d like to thank you to our sponsors Foreshore Trust, Undercliffe House, Ashdown Hurrey, Symes Roofing, Hastings Lions, Half Man Half Burger, Kings Church, Harvest Green, Dynamic Scaffolding, FILO and Hastings Round Table and those who have donated in kind including special thanks to the Kings Church knitting group who have knitted over 150 woolly hats that will be on sale on the night.

More people than last year sleeping rough or are homeless? What do you think has catalysed this increase in numbers?

Welfare benefit reforms, cuts to charities and support services like Seaview and lack of available and supported housing means numbers of rough sleepers continue to rise at an alarming and unprecedented rate. Last year Seaview verified 221 people sleeping rough on our streets in Hastings and St Leonards and numbers continue to rise. On our early morning outreach sessions we regularly make contact with 30 people sleeping rough.

How much did The Big Sleep raise last year? 

Sponsorship raised by Big Sleepers last year was over £28,000: we used this for our front line services, which included:

• Match funding the Seaview Accommodation Support Service (SASS) to support former entrenched rough sleepers in their homes. This year we have so far supported 11 people, helping sustain their tenancies, and in doing so stopping the revolving door of homelessness

• Providing extra staff time to our Rough Sleepers Outreach Service, enabling us to reach out and make contact with more rough sleepers, checking on their welfare and encouraging them to take the first steps of finding a home.

• Providing further support to the 1381 people using Seaview’s support and services.

How much does it cost to keep Seaview going each month?

It costs £34,666 a month to run Seaview.

How many people have you supported this year? In what way?

Seaview brought about many changes to help and encourage people to improve the quality of their lives, providing support to 1381 individuals across all of our programmes of service:

Providing Wellbeing Centre contact, support and services for 425 people (some of whom attended several times a week)
Serving over 6,500 affordable hot, nutritious meals and countless teas, coffees, juices, soups & rolls and desserts
Giving housing related advice and accommodation support to 202 people, helping many to sustain their tenancies and live locally
Providing 4 people with emergency accommodation and helping to secure move on permanent accommodation
Providing 178 individuals with resettlement advice and support
Working with 221 rough sleepers and those in imminent danger of rough sleeping, and securing settled accommodation for 22
Helping 197 people engage in our Activities Programmes to improve their general health and wellbeing
Providing placement opportunities for university and college students studying Social Work, Occupational Therapy and Health and Social Care
Providing 66 people with volunteering, training and work experience opportunities, both for service users and people from the wider community
St John Ambulance Homeless Service recorded a total of over 1500 contacts with individuals using their service at Seaview and at Hope Kitchen in 2016.
Giving help, support and encouragement to people with a wide range of issues including substance misuse, emotional wellbeing/mental health, literacy, relationships, cultural, faith and language needs
Providing peer support for 47 people through our RADAR project
Engaging with 71 people through our arts project.

The Big Sleep

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