Mayor sleeps rough for charity

On June 29, Mayor Tony Wellington will join others to sleep rough for charity. 

The Vinnies Sunshine Coast Corporate and Community Sleepout is being held at Maroochydore Surf Club on that cold winter night. Participants will spend the entire evening sleeping rough, just as homeless people do across Australia. 

“One in every 200 Australians are experiencing homelessness right now,” says Tony Wellington. “For a wealthy, compassionate society, that statistic is absolutely shocking. 

“Research a few years ago showed that one in every 12 of us will have been forced to sleep rough at some stage in our lives.

“Australia has enjoyed a long period of relative economic stability, even during the GFC. Meanwhile homelessness is on the rise. Wealth disparity has also risen, and this is very troubling.

“Homelessness can be a product of mental illness, misfortune or family breakdown. People rarely become roofless by choice. Those of us living in relative comfort have a duty to help our fellow citizens who have not been so fortunate.  

“It will be an interesting experience for me to sleep rough. I am lucky that I have never found myself in circumstances that forced me to do so. Whether I actually get any sleep or not remains to be seen. I believe we will each get our own piece of cardboard to sleep on!

“There are around 1600 people homeless on the Sunshine Coast every night, and Noosa is certainly not immune.”

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21 June 2017