Amy told the Echo “Selling the Big Issue was a real challenge; most people declined although they were polite but there was little interest in the magazine. Those that wanted to help offered money but told me to keep the magazine so I had one extra to sell. It was quite disheartening as I felt I wasn’t doing my job properly. It’s easy to walk past Big Issue sellers on the streets without considering how tough their job is. They are trying to earn a living and are taking the next step forward, they should get more respect for the effort they put in.”

The team also paid a visit to Muriel’s Soup Kitchen at Landsdowne Baptist Church where they were welcomed by a substantial hot meal and the friendly support and advice of the local homeless community. The Rotaractors expressed their admiration for the volunteers that provide food for the homeless. “These people give up their time and work tirelessly to provide for those in need despite the many challenges they face as several soup kitchens have recently been closed in the area. Without these services many people would go hungry, in the 2hours running on Saturday 120 people came through the doors”.

By nightfall the group bedded down in a local church yard ready to face a long cold night outdoors, with just a layer of cardboard and a sleeping bag to keep them warm. “The sleep-out was certainly an intense experience, we didn’t really sleep as we were on high alert in case anyone came into our shelter. We’d heard first-hand about the dangers on the streets and were quite wary of these” explained Lynette Davies.