Feeling a chill in the air whilst on a visit to Bath, Jon Durrant felt sorry for those he passed that would undoubtably sleep on the streets that night in freezing temperatures.

Through previous volunteering, Jon located a charity called Sleep Pod, who were looking for local people to build their emergency shelters to be distributed around the area. They were due to be building in a warehouse in Bristol, but because of Covid-19, each volunteer has instead collected a kit of up to ten shelters to take home and build. They will be delivered back to the warehouse next weekend for distribution.

Sleep Pods were founded by three friends who met while volunteering in refugee camps in Europe in 2016. The wind and rainproof design means that temperatures can be six degrees inside, even when it is minus sixteen degrees outside. The lightweight shelters are proving a lifeline for homeless people needing emergency shelter who are at risk of hypothermia and exposure by sleeping on the streets. Sleep Pod are aiming to raise £50,000 to make 10,000 shelters this year and have so far raised over £31,000. They say: “We believe that this winter is likely to see an even greater rise in rough sleeping, due to the extreme financial and employment crisis that the pandemic has caused.”

Jon says: “My time spent shopping in Bath on a cold day with coffee in hand, popping in and out of shops brought home to me what privileges I have, whilst others have to sit and sleep on wet and cold streets. I have met people on the street who don’t like homeless shelter buildings; they actually feel safer on the streets.

“I know these pods will be vital and I am grateful that this organisation is doing something practical and lifesaving whilst we campaign to get homeless people off the streets and give them the help and support they need.”

Once his Sleep Pods are built, Jon hopes to continue volunteering through distribution and soup runs.

For more information, visit: http://www.streetlink.org.ukTo donate: https://www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/sleep-pod-fundraising-campaignIf you are worried about someone sleeping rough locally, visit: www.streetlink.org.uk