"We live in a world where people have to have their coffee made for them every morning or they can’t function and can’t put down their £1000 phone, but people are sleeping on the streets"
So, what is it that is making people give up their time and their beds to get involved? We spoke to three volunteers to find out what they are supporting Mortgage Sleep Out.
Andre Bartlett, director at Capital B Property Finance:
“We live in a world where people have to have their coffee made for them every morning or they can’t function and can’t put down their £1000 phone, but people are sleeping on the streets in this first world country.
"There is no reason for anybody to have to sleep outside and although we can’t solve the problem, we can highlight the cause. If one more person sleeps in a bed because of something we have done then we have made a very small difference.
"You could argue that it shouldn’t be down to us to have to do this type of event but unfortunately we seem to live in a ‘them and us’ world and it’s good to stop and take stock occasionally and make, what is, a really small sacrifice in our very comfortable lives.”
Gem Kucuckdevlet, mortgage and protection consultant at Countrywide Mortgage Services in Leicester:
“I remember when I was brought up, my mum would make me go to soup kitchens to help out, while all of my friends were at home playing Playstation. Homelessness is something that a lot of people turn their back on, but until you have met people who have been sofa surfing or have nowhere to go and end up on the street, you don’t realise that it’s not their fault and could happen to anyone.
"Awareness of homelessness is not just about giving people some money or a sandwich but acknowledging someone as a person and making them feel like a person – not just a statistic.
"A lot of people might assume that the mortgage industry is a business where people earn half decent salaries and don’t bother to think about issues like homelessness and I really didn’t expect something like Mortgage Sleep Out to happen, but it’s great people have got this off the ground and it’s important that we do what we can to support it.”
Andrew Gage, director at Y3S Bridging & Commercial:
“As a mortgage brokerage company, we know the importance of having a roof over your head. We strive on a day to day basis to ensure our clients have the security of knowing their property is safe and this has made us extremely passionate about helping the homeless community.
"We want to raise awareness throughout the Cardiff area and beyond. We think this is the perfect opportunity to do this. As a company we want to show our solidarity to the homeless community and spend a night on the streets with them. That’s why all employees of Y3S Bridging and Commercial will be attending the event and promoting it to ensure we raise as much awareness as possible.”
If you would like to be part of the industry movement to eradicate homelessness, you can register now and receive your guide on how to arrange a Sleep Out at www.mortgagesleepout.com.
Alternatively, if you would just like to make a donation to Mortgage Sleep Out, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/mortgagesleepout to pledge your support.
