THRESHOLD’S annual mass Big SleepOut returned bigger and better this year as 135 people braved the cold December weather to raise money for the homeless.

Participants either camped out in tents or positioned sleeping bags under the Supermarine clubhouse’s canopy for the night in near-freezing temperatures before being rewarded with a cooked breakfast the next morning served by the Village Hotel.

An extra 17 fire cadets and supporting staff slept out in the fire station.

Not only does the event raise money to help Threshold in their aim to end homelessness, it gives those taking part an insight – albeit a very privileged one – into the hardships rough sleepers suffer.

To get through the long 12 hours, Threshold had organised entertainment with a performance by the Army Cadets and music from Jimmy Moore, Phoebe Maddison and Emily Price.

There was an abundance of food to stave off the chilly weather, from curries provided by Swindon Goan Community to pizzas and homemade soup. There was even a fire pit where families could roast marshmallows.

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The entertainment and food provided a happy distraction from the cold hours ahead, but this made the plight of those sleeping rough all the more poignant.

Threshold’s work mainly focuses on helping homeless people with complex needs. There are different forms of help depending on the individual. The Street Outreach Service offers support and advice to people who are homeless, the Resettlement Service provides long-term hostel accommodation in the medium term and Floating Support helps people maintain independent housing.

Roxy is part of Threshold’s outreach team. She goes out at 6.30am to help check on those who have been sleeping rough the night before.

Roxy said: “Everything looks and feels different at that time in the morning. Everybody’s out that’s hidden during the day.

“All these temporary homes are set up overnight. It’s hard and sad to see.

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“They have to pack up their belongings when they’re moved on in the morning.

“Sometimes they have horrific nights. Some have been starving all night or they haven’t slept or they’ve been assaulted, anything could’ve happened to them.”

Jason Biggs, head of psychological therapies and assertive outreach, said: “The first thing we do is make sure they have a pulse and then we do a welfare check.

“The next element is if they’re new, we will do an interview with them, we get all the key data, as much as we possibly can and then encourage them into our offices.

“We get them registered with medical practices. We need to deal with dentistry,  fight for them to get on an Opiate Substitution Therapy script and work with all different agencies.

“Get them a hot drink and food and into the office. We find out why they’re homeless and rough sleeping.

“For the people that we know, it’s about checking on them and monitoring where they’re going.

“We take on the challenging cases.

“That’s what people love about us as a charity.

“They see us in the town centre because we’re always visible with our purple shirts.

“We face really difficult situations.

“It’s about doing more all the time and there’s still a great deal of improvement to make in Swindon.”

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Another Threshold representative added: “It’s bringing awareness. The important thing for me is it’s not just about homelessness, it’s the causes behind homelessness.

“I think it’s fair to say almost everyone has some underlying issues whether that be alcohol, mental health, or drug abuse or maybe a cocktail of all three. It’s not just about putting a roof over everyone’s head, it’s about tackling those issues and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

The sleep out, which usually raises about £20,000, is the most important fundraising night for the charity.

To donate, visit www.thl.org.uk.