Funeral directors sleeping out to give others hope
WORKERS at a Burton funeral directors are set to brave the November chill to raise funds and awareness of the homeless as the winter months draw nearer.
Fiona Thompson, of Central England Co-operative Funeral care, along with nine other workers, will be sleeping outdoors on Saturday, November 17 from 8pm until 8am.
They will be camping out for the night outside Wellings Funeral Directors, in Derby Street, Burton.
All money raised will be donated to homeless organisation Burton Hope, which was first set up in 2017 and facilitates volunteers wanting to help people in need across the town.
Fiona said: “Our link-up with Burton Hope came about after we were really struck by the rising levels of homelessness in and around the town.
“We then heard about the great work that Burton Hope was undertaking and decided that it was a good cause that we could support.
“So we have been to see what they do and also dropped off some food parcels, but we knew there was even more we could offer in terms of support.
“So we have organised a sleepout to raise awareness and funds for Burton Hope.
“Myself and several colleagues will be spending the night sleeping in the yard at Wellings Funeral Directors to experience what it is like to be homeless, and at the same time shine a light on the work that Burton Hope do in and around Burton.
“Homelessness is a major issue in the town and we want to be part of something that is making a difference locally.” among other staff from Central England
Alongside Fiona, giving up their beds for the night will be funeral directors Sam Platt, Kerry Marcer, Rachel Walsh and Ruth Johnson.
Senior funeral administrator Kay Crispino, senior funeral services assistant Justine Parker and senior leaders Mike Taaffe, Jo Mills and Marc Palmer will also be taking part.
This comes after 240 selfless people took part in the Burton YMCA’s tenth annual sleep-out on Friday, November 9.
Similar to the efforts of the funeral directors, this was to raise money and awareness for those who have no choice but to sleep on the streets.
Participants either slept in the cold tunnels of the Pirelli Stadium, home of Burton Albion Football Club or in the graveyard of St Modwen’s Church, in Burton.
It was announced on the evening that £26,600 had been raised already from the scheme. However, with more donations pouring in, this figure is expected to rise significantly.
John Anderson, the chairman from Burton Hope, said: “We at Burton Hope are very excited about the sleepout event being run by Fiona and her team from Central England Co-op.
“It will help raise awareness of homelessness endured by many in our town and it will also raise some much-needed funds to keep our food bank and clothes bank in operation.”
Anybody interested in supporting the event can get in touch with Fiona and her team by calling 01283 563555.