I love my job. In fact, I love my job so much that I'm prepared to push myself to the limit to support our charitable aims.
As an operative at the Eden Project, I see the impact that we make every day. Our motto is 'We are ordinary people trying to change the world' and I truly believe that we do this - and I'm prepared to do something amazing myself to show it.
Facing the cold of a dark, chilly November night with nothing but a sleeping bag and a cardboard mat I'll be 'sleeping rough' trying to fund-raise as much as possible. I'll be aiming for a target of around £100, but we will be very grateful for any money you can donate for the excellent St Petroc’s Society.
Eden-project has joined forces with the homelessness charity St Petroc's Society which exists to provide a diverse range of services for the single homeless, who, more often than not, fall outside the responsibility of statutory authorities. The Society provides accommodation, support, advice, training and resettlement services to single homeless people in Cornwall. Within resources available, they strive to provide the best quality of service possible..
As on Thursday 6 November 2014, Eden will be one of the 12 locations for the national Sleep Out event taking place throughout the UK, with the aim of raising over £500,000 to support some of the 80,000 young people that experience homelessness in the UK every year.
Cornwall has a high number of rough sleepers. A large majority of these people are either from Cornwall or have lived and worked in the county for a significant time. Others travel to the county fleeing from violence or in search of employment and a fresh start. For many, the county is the simply end of the line on the train.
For updates on my progress, follow me on Twitter: @Radical8 #SleepOut - expect mournful expressions and a healthy dose of feeling sorry for myself.
Thank you all very much.
Paul Stephens.
