So after a couple of days of reflection how did our efforts on Fri night/Sat morning turn out?
The experience was a crazy mix of profoundly moving and surreal. For those not in the loop on this I was due to catch up with an old friend Helen whom I hadn’t seen in years, we go all the way back to Carnegie Youth Theatre days and that now feels like so long ago, another lifetime. The plan was to meet up in Edinburgh and have dinner and a few drinks plus a good old catch up. That plan changed when Helen, she is a nutter in the loveliest way, texted me at 1am Thursday morning to enquire if I could change days as she had just realised there was a charity sleep out on Friday and she really wanted to take part. I’m afraid not, texted I, other plans have been made for Sat so maybe another time. Was this good enough for our H? No!! There then followed a string of persuading texts asking if I fancied joining her and telling me all about it.
To cut a long story short the event is called Byte Night and is held at various locations across the UK on one night every year in aid of a wonderful charity called Action for Children, their aims are to deal with the suffering of youngsters forced out of the family home to fend for themselves (usually through choice) due to a variety of reasons. Their work gives these kids shelter and vital assistance in rebuilding their lives in an attempt to prevent as many as possible slipping into a life of poverty and of living rough. It’s so much more involved than that however I will invite you to click on the link below for more info on what they do.
Anyway, H says “Come on. Let’s do it! we only have to raise a minimum of £500 each to be able to take part” (Well it was along those lines, I have omitted any choice language). It took me a minute to think, this was not something I would have ever done, spontaneity is not something I am renowned for. The more I thought about it the more that little voice in my head that’s been missing for so long said “Come on, do it!” I saw my fingers texting “My god! You know what? Let’s do it!” Shit! £500 in a day and a half!! How the hell do I do this?
I have done far too much thinking and brooding on me of late, time wasted when others have it a million times tougher than me or may of us out there. I knew it was time to do something that would benefit others and might help me focus on how tough people have it when they don’t have the comforts around us we all take for granted.
So, first thing Thursday morning upon arrival at the office I set up my VirginGiving Donation page, I phoned people, I emailed people, I emailed colleagues, friends, anyone and everyone I could think of, I Facebooked, Twittered, and went desk to desk and door to door and for a wonderful two days I was fired up and alive and focused on just reaching that target. I am stunned to say I reached £500 at around 2pm on Friday, a staggering response and one I will be eternally grateful for, the figure has since risen and I will occasionally post the link up over the next few weeks to allow anyone who would like to contribute to do so.
Friday itself was a profoundly moving and at times joyous experience. It was positive and at times deeply sad. It is one of those evenings of my life that I will never ever forget. Helen has blogged on it and I’m sure she won’t mind me including a link to that blog below. It says it so much better than I ever could. I’m so glad I did it. The actual sleep out element was crazy, It was fun, it was nuts it was in the middle of the night bitterly, bitterly cold but it was only one night. There are far too many people in this country who are forced to do this night after night because they have no other choice. They have reached the limit of what any of our fellow humans should ever have to endure. What we did was the minimum we could, think of what we could achieve if all of us worked together in this country to have a society where we didn’t stand for this and we reached out and helped whomever we could whenever we could.
Friday has given me so much to think about, I want to be able to live my life unafraid to help others. I will be doing this again. This and so much more because I can and because it’s easy. If you have the opportunity to help others please do.
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