By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
WITH only the cover of cardboard and sleeping bags, students at Cornish College in Bangholme braved winter’s wet and cold for a sleepout last Friday night.
Raising money for charity Swags for Homeless, 73 students and 10 staff fed on sausages, instant soup and noodles and, without their mobile phones, got an uncomfortable taste of roughing it in the school grounds.
The sleepout has been a 10-year tradition at the school, last year raising $4300 for swags. Each student is committed to raising at least $68 — the price of one swag.
The swags are given out among the estimated 32,000 homeless people in Australia who are turned away from emergency shelter.
Religious education teacher Jarrod Davies said the event crystallised the plight, although it was unlikely any of the students would ever be in that position.
“They’re uncomfortable and they get cold and in the morning they get hungry,” he said.
“There will be no technology either — the worst thing for them will be not being on Facebook.”
