Bexhill pair sleep rough for charity

Hayley Vane and Chris Jones decided to raise money for homelessness charity Shelter and Warming Up The Homeless, a charity run by volunteers which provides hot drinks, blankets and other support for those sleeping rough.

So far more than £740 has been raised after they slept rough from Friday (April 15) to Sunday inclusive (April 17).

Hayley, of Wealden Way, Little Common, said: “I came up with this idea after meeting a homeless guy in Bexhill a few months ago. It really touched my heart when he told me how he had ended up homeless. He said his relationship had broken down and he couldn’t cope.

“He had to give up his accommodation as he was quite timid and hated confrontation. He had to rely on friends to sofa surf.

“Chris and I slept rough in a new place each night so as not to be moved on by the police.

“Being the weekend, there were a lot of drunk people about and we felt vulnerable. We hid away as best we could. It did highlight how vulnerable homeless people are.”

Hayley, a self-employed cleaner, said she and Chris were at the receiving end of a lot of abuse from passers-by during the three days.

She added: “We got lots of dirty looks and people ignored our requests for assistance. We didn’t feel like we were part of society. People were telling us to get jobs and not reading the sign we had, saying we were doing this for charity.

“The majority of people though were very friendly and we showed them relevant paperwork to prove we were fundraising.”

Hayley thanked her husband, Jeremy, and her family for their support throughout.

She added: “I would also like to thank PC Richard Laws, as without him the challenge would have been stopped. He is a fantastic police officer who often came to check on us.”

In 2013 she and her friend Karen Seddon raised more than £3,000 for the Conquest Hospital’s Judy Beard chemotherapy ward after Hayley’s mum was diagnosed with cancer.

To support her and Chris log onto www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hayley-vane.

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