Some people use barometers, others check the long term weather forecast. If I want to know when the weather will be absolutely atrocious sometime in mid-November all I do is find out the date for the ‘Swans Big Sleep Out’. It can be the mildest, driest autumn on record, right up until a day or 2 before the night but I’m telling you next year when they announce the date put some money on hurricanes, floods, possibly a plague of locusts and the moon turning to blood.
This year was the biggest and most successful sleep out so far and in many ways the terrible weather only goes to emphasise why the sleep out is needed. The Swans Big Sleep Out brings together Swansea City AFC Foundation and Matthew’s House which is based on Swansea High Street. To say it’s been successful in the past is an understatement. Last year the Sleep Out Raised £37,000. This year they were hoping for more.
To be fair Matthew’s House know how to sell the Big Sleep Out. On their website it says…
Imagine it: wrapped up warm, surrounded by an amazing community of supporters, sleeping under the stars (or stadium lights!) at the Swansea.com Stadium — all to make a difference.
As I walked from my car to the Stadium Reception in the middle of Storm Claudia I must admit I was wondering whether I should speak to someone at the Advertising Authority.
Horton Hullabaloo
Even though some people had travelled through torrential rain, high winds and even flooded roads the excitement was almost tangible. By the time I arrived Horton Hullabaloo had already set up the gear for what I think was technically their first ‘Stadium’ gig. The Hullabaloo are a big band. In fact they have more people in their band than I have had for an audience in some of my concerts.
Just in front of the Hullabaloo, having a bit of a soundcheck, were Matt’s Community Choir. The Choir Leader Amanda is passionate, full of life, fun and music. The Choir meets every Monday evening and welcomes everyone. As well as just enjoying singing together they also perform at special events. In the summer they sang with the Hullabaloo at the Horton Summer Festival. This night they would be putting the band back together to entertain those who had signed up for the Big Sleep Out.
While that was all going on the guests were arriving. You could tell many of them had done this before. Some reminded me of those lines from Dylan Thomas’s ‘Child’s Christmas In Wales’ looking like…
‘fur-capped and moccasined trappers from Hudson Bay, off Mumbles Road’
Now some people can be a little snobbish about the explosion in use of ‘Dry Robes’. The Dry Robe was initially designed for the use of surfers who struggled to keep warm changing into and out of their wetsuits. The old towelling robe, often seen in my youth being used by those too embarrassed to risk changing in plain sight, was the basis of this creation. An outer waterproof section was added and soon the dry robe was adopted by other beach users, especially those hardy souls who swim all year around.
Of course if you’re down the beach and you’ve been swimming and you need to do some shopping on the way home it’s a bit too much bother to change again so you shop in your robe. I must admit I’ve been surprised how many people seem to wear a dry robe all year round. On a night like the Big Sleep Out a dry robe was a thing of beauty.
Other guests had brought sleeping bags, roll up mattresses and everyone had brought lots of cardboard boxes.
I think we all understood that this isn’t really sleeping rough, not the way so many people experience rough sleeping. We had had a chance to prepare, make plans to try to ease our discomfort. We know it’s not the real thing but for one night we get a small understanding of what it might be like.
Thom Lynch with the Matts Community Choir in the background
Just in case our guests didn’t know exactly why they were there Thom Lynch from Matthew’s House gave some details about the work they do and why raising this money was so important. I’ve known Thom since he was that little boy who would sometimes come for a sleep over with my sons. I’m incredibly proud of the man he’s become and his passion for helping people.
I would encourage you to visit their website or even pop in to see the work that they do. I’ve written about them before, but their website probably says it all…
Our aim is to provide unconditional hospitality for the most vulnerable people in Swansea including those struggling with homelessness, mental health and addictions. Hope can change lives; it can refresh and refocus us and that’s why we try our very best to deliver it. Here are the seven ways we express Hope.
The Swans Foundation was also raising money for a ‘once in a lifetime project’ for kids from our city. It’s been a terrific week for Welsh Football with that unbelievable 7-1 win taking the Wales Men’s Team to the World Cup Play offs. But one other Welsh team is already guaranteed a place in next year’s Street Child World Cup.
Street Child United organise the festival to run just ahead of the FIFA World Cup and brings together 30 teams from all over the world to play in a tournament. It also uses the event to highlight problems faced by children around the globe.
Beth Robinson from the Foundation.
The Swans Foundation are talking a team of 10 Swansea youngsters to Mexico next year in what Beth Robinson, Targeted Interventions Manager at the Foundation, says is…
‘a shining example of how football can be used as a tool to engage, educate and empower young people, which is something we constantly strive to do as a Foundation.’
I think that’s what struck me about the whole night. This really showed the power of the Swansea City Brand in the form of the foundation, the power of football to bring people together and the power of our community to be a real positive force for good.
Thai Chicken Curry with Martyn Guest and Lee Trundle
After the speeches we all headed to the press room where Martyn Guest, head chef at the football club, together with his team and ably assisted by Lee Trundle served everyone a very tasty Thai Chicken curry (Vegetarian options were also available).
Then we sang along to Matt’s Choir and danced our socks off to the Horton Hullabaloo before everyone made their way to their make shift shelters for the night.
As I said, last year the Sleep Out Raised £37,000. This year they were hoping for more. You can donate right up until the end of November but currently the total stands at just over £45,000!!!