One of the Trust’s PNE Forces participants is raising awareness of homelessness on behalf of the Foxton Centre this weekend by sleeping rough and providing support to fellow rough sleepers.
Peter Judson is planning to sleep rough from Friday until Sunday while taking essential supplies to fellow rough sleepers during that period. All remaining goods at the end of the weekend will be donated to the Foxton Centre.
The Foxton Centre is a charity that works with vulnerable young people to tackle issues such as mental health, addiction, alcoholism, homelessness and more.
The Foxton recently purchased a house in the city to provide rough sleepers with shelter and training and employment opportunities.
The house was purchased using funds from last year’s Big PNE Sleep Out at Deepdale, which was co-ordinated by the Trust, Blog Preston and Biffa, and raised over £90,000 the charity, with Peter and other PNE Forces participants taking part in the fundraising event.
As part of the Tackling Loneliness Together initiative – which is supporting isolated people as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic – Trust staff will be visiting Peter and donating goods towards his effort to support homeless people, using supplies from the PNECET Festive Hampers initiative.
Donations of non-perishable foods, winter clothing such as hats, gloves and scarves, and blankets, sleeping bags and flasks are also welcome and can be dropped off at the community offices at Deepdale, which will then be passed on to the Foxton.
The PNE Forces programme is open to current and former members of the military and their families, and in the absence of the usual weekly football hour and social hour sessions due to the current pandemic, a weekly PNE Forces Chat is running for both new and existing participants as part of the Tackling Loneliness Together provision. The football and social sessions will resume as current restrictions allow.
The PNE Forces Chat takes place from 5pm until 6pm every Thursday via Zoom. Anyone wishing to join the online meetings can do so by contacting alistair.white@pne.com.