Probably, like most of Generation Z, I have never camped – not in the proper sense anyway. In order to have an ‘authentic’ camping experience I feel you need a tent - and I don’t mean a pop-up, minimal-effort version, but the traditional type with tent poles, pegs, guy ropes and fly sheet. Pitching the tent should be completed under dark, wet or windy conditions because, to be fair, that’s the reality of camping in Ireland.
Next, you need to collect some firewood and try to build a campfire which is not easy, especially when the wood is damp. However, perseverance is key and once the fire is lit you can enjoy a much-needed cup of tea and perhaps a toasted marshmallow or two. You can then spend the next few nights ‘sleeping under the stars’, struggling to get comfortable, trying to stay warm and focusing on the unnerving and unfamiliar noises the twilight hours bring and the gnawing feeling that perhaps there could be a murderer on the loose...
I’m joking, of course, because there are lots of benefits from enjoying the great outdoors and connecting with nature. For many it is an enjoyable and life-affirming experience.
These days camping also has a new and glitzier sister called ‘glamping’ which is a blinged-up version for those who prefer more home comforts. Rather than staying in a tent, you can enjoy all manner of classy outdoor accommodation from shepherds’ huts to yurts, complete with hot tubs, proper loos, running water and log burners.
The reason for my current preoccupation with camping stems from the fact that this weekend homelessness charity the Simon Community will be hosting their annual One Big Sleep Out at the Stormont Estate.
“There’s been iterations of the Big Sleep Out for a number of years,” explains Harriett Roberts, the Simon Community’s director of growth and engagement.
“But how we’ve done it over the last few years started in 2017 – we originally hosted it in the Titanic Quarter near the water, which was absolutely Baltic, so we decided to move to Stormont in 2018.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness and give people a clear action to take but also raise vital funds for our work because without it we can’t support the people who need us to. And this year is going to be our biggest yet.”
Read more: Public encouraged to take part in Simon Community’s ‘One Big Sleep Out 2024′
I will be taking part tonight for the first time and will be reporting on my experience of this important initiative, which aims to highlight and help end homelessness in Northern Ireland.
I have no idea what to expect and - having failed to convince friends and colleagues - have roped in my poor mother to join me.
The Simon Community says soaring private rental costs are the most common reason for people facing homelessness, with many sleeping on sofas or even in their cars
“We’re not trying to replicate the experience of someone who is rough sleeping,” Harriett explains.
“We don’t want to perpetuate any misconceptions that homelessness is just rough sleeping. Homelessness takes on very many forms and some of the more hidden forms are really common in Northern Ireland.”
According to official statistics, 55,500 people, including 4,500 children, are currently homeless but Simon Community has warned that the full scale of the issue is underreported.
Read more: Tackling homelessness needs to be a priority of Stormont programme for government
Recent research carried out by the charity suggests as many as 80,000 people are currently homeless in the north. This includes around 25,000 people not in the system who are said to be experiencing “hidden homelessness”.
The charity found that soaring private rental costs were the most common reason for people facing homelessness, with many sleeping on sofas or even in their cars.
“I think people are increasingly starting to understand that homelessness is so much more than the old stereotypes we used to have,” says Harriett.
“People are seeing it in their own families, their own networks, and they understand it’s much closer than any of us would want.
“Almost one in 34 people are currently officially registered as homeless, so it’s touching all of us.
“If you think about it this way, in every classroom there’s likely to be someone that’s experiencing homelessness right now.”
In addition to organising food, entertainment and, of course, much needed ‘facilities’, the Simon Community will also be hosting a series of fireside stories during the One Big Sleep Out in the hope they will help further develops people’s understanding of homelessness.
Read more: Homeless charity says ‘unprecedented levels’ of overdoses due to increased use of opioids
“It’s great opportunity to humanise the problem because it can feel very dark and something that you almost want to look away from,” says Harriet.
“But what we want to do is bring back the sense of hope and show there’s absolutely a way out of it if we all work together.
“One Big Sleep Out is part of that. It’s a way of galvanising everyone – people who have lived experience, people who work to eradicate it and the rest of us who all have a role to play.”
More about the One Big Sleep Out at simoncommunity.org. Read Sophie Clarke’s reports this weekend at irishnews.com and in Monday’s Irish News
