Prince William sleeps rough on London street
Prince William has spent a night sleeping rough on a bed of cardboard boxes in a London street - to raise awareness of the plight of homeless young people.On Dec 15th the Prince - along with Seyi Obakin of charity Centrepoint - set up a 'bed' of cardboard boxes around Blackfriars bridge as temperatures dropped to -4C.
They then experienced first-hand what it is like for the thousands of young people who live rough in UK cities worried about being accosted by drug dealers and pimps.
At one point the Prince and fellow rough sleepers were almost run over by a road sweeper. Throughout the night they had also needed to keep an eye out for people who were out to give homeless people a kicking.
Maybe sensibly the Prince refrained from using the sleeping bag with the sentence "My other bed ... is in a palace" printed on it.
When they woke the Prince and co walked through some of the streets of the West End so he could see with his own eyes many of the ‘invisible’ men and women who are rough sleepers in the buzzing centre of London.
Speaking of the experience, Prince William, a Patron of Centrepoint, said: "I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night.
"Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependancy and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless.
"Centrepoint's work - along with many other organisations' - in tackling these fundamental causes is desperately important if we are ever to end homelessness in this country.
"I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets."
LINKS
Centrepoint
Speaking of the experience, Prince William, a Patron of Centrepoint, said: "I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night.
"Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependancy and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless.
"Centrepoint's work - along with many other organisations' - in tackling these fundamental causes is desperately important if we are ever to end homelessness in this country.
"I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets."
LINKS
Centrepoint
