Student sleepover at St John Bosco raises money for The Whitechapel Centre
by Educate Magazine December 13, 2024 · All News / Secondary School News
A student sleepover was recently held at St John Bosco Arts College, Croxteth, to raise money for The Whitechapel Centre, a prominent homeless and housing charity in Liverpool.
60 pupils from Year 7 headed to the Croxteth school for the sleepover, where they participated in activities and discussions around homelessness.
To help students gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those sleeping rough across the city, they were tasked with building dens out of cardboard boxes, a tough reality homeless people face in order to keep sheltered and warm in the cold months.
An on-site soup kitchen was set up, especially for the event, so students could experience the type of meals homeless people have access to.
Throughout the sleepover, pupils and staff spoke widely about homelessness, including the struggles, the dangers, and the ways to support those who do not have a home or the resources to escape unfortunate living situations.
Pupils even completed an interactive exercise that presented them with a real-life scenario. In groups, pupils were allocated a certain amount of fake money and had to budget the money to purchase items, replicating the real-life situations faced by people who are homeless.
This discussion was amplified by the visit of a guest speaker from The Whitechapel Centre, who informed students about homelessness in Liverpool, moving stories about people they have supported, and the vital work that the charity does.
It was recently reported that the number of long-term rough sleepers across the city has risen by more than 40 per cent in the last two years.
The Whitechapel Centre is a Liverpool-based homeless and housing charity that provides support to rough sleepers, people living in temporary accommodation and those at risk of becoming homeless, 365 days a year.
