To date Richard has completed Glasgow and Belfast, spending 1 week in each city, rough sleeping.
He’s met some amazing charities that support the homeless on his travels and has been able to keep going by the generosity of the public, whilst he has been begging.
Richard has found this challenge mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. Sleeping on concrete every night, getting a broken sleep every night, shivering cold every night, then facing abuse from the public during the day. This has truly highlighted how isolated rough sleepers must feel. Thousands of people walk by without looking your way. One man told him to get a job, another said to go back to his own country. He is currently in Cardiff sleeping rough for 9 nights, straight through Christmas before moving on to Blackpool on 28th December.
Not only is Richard trying to document how difficult it is for rough sleepers, he wants to change the perspective on the public when it comes to homelessness and addiction.
Steps to Hope are working around the clock to get a new residential recovery programme back open which guides addicts into sobriety. This service is free, no funding required and is available to anyone in the UK.
They aim to get Hope House open by April 2024.
Here’s the link to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/sleeprough8weeks8cities
