Ben’s weekend in the other man’s shoes

A very big ‘thank you’ to Ben Lucas and all those who sponsored him. Ben has raised more than £2,000 for us with his one-man sponsored sleep-out. Here’s his story…

“I took to the streets of London for a weekend in the middle of January to get a glimpse of the hardship that homelessness breeds and also to remind myself of the ridiculous luxury I’d taken for granted as a housed, employed and socially supported Londoner.

“The main lesson I learned from the experience is the importance of human warmth. When begging, I was astonished at the difference it made when people gave me a smile (no need for money), as opposed to pretending I didn’t exist.

“My glimpse into homeless life was tough but, firstly, I don’t suffer from mental health or drug problems and, secondly, I was back in my cosy bed at the end of the weekend. Add those two things to what I did and the suffering becomes unimaginable.

“I hope that highlighting this suffering might motivate some people to alleviate it a little.”

• Ben used the My Donate fundraising tool, so his supporters were able to send their donations directly to Kairos. My Donate – accessed by the DONATE button at the bottom of the page– is BT’s online giving service that charges no commission. It is safe and easy to use; and it has a Gift Aid option.

For info about other ways of donating to Kairos >>