I am undertaking a 6-month sleep out for the Winter Night Shelter Milton Keynes in memory of my wonderful husband Richard, who died unexpectedly last year. I am choosing to support the WNSMK because, in many ways, volunteering for them after Richard’s death helped me to carry on, and I have seen how they help people in great need. The way in which I have decided to support the charity is a fitting tribute to Richard and how we lived life together.

Richard and I led what you might call an unconventional life, mostly on boats, and never feeling ‘at home’ in a house. Whenever we were based in the UK the aim was to sail for 6 months of the year, and this is what I would like to honour this year with my Sleep Out Summer. Whatever else I do, from 27^th March I aim to sleep outdoors every night from that date for 6 months.

I have thought in detail about how to do this safely, and I will be sleeping in the back garden of family, at least initially. If during the next 6 months the current Covid-19 crisis and threat subsides and travelling around becomes possible again then I would very much like to visit and stay in the gardens of friends and family scattered around the UK. Our days of travelling and sailing mean I have a wide network of people I can visit, and indeed doing so in the wake of Richard’s passing will be beneficial to me personally as I begin to figure out life without him.

I have a warm sleeping bag and protective layers, and I will wear the clothes given me, renewing from charity shops, and live out of my rucksack, which was Richard's. We have always lived simply; I thought that I was a minimalist before I met Richard, but being part of an RAF family moving all the time followed by boarding school had honed his
skills.

I met Richard on a pontoon in a marina where we were living on different boats. Richard had sailed and had boats since boyhood; I discovered the traveller within myself after leaving everything behind in the early 90s to sail the Atlantic and cruise the Caribbean. Neither of us could do houses.

We met and married at a later age; I won't call us mature. We were both the ‘oddballs’ in our respective families, and everyone was pleased that we had found each other. Our wedding was a simple affair, which was how we wanted it, with the ceremony as part of the Sunday service at the church on the marina followed by a reception at the pub.

Although we only had 15 years together we made the most of that time. We always knew that we were lucky and we appreciated everything. Together we cruised a lot of UK waters, some of France and the French canals, which we loved, through the Mediterranean to Turkey.

Richard was many things: practical, logical, hardworking, undaunted by problems, with a love for boats and engines. He was empathetic with animals and they were drawn to him. His wicked sense of humour left me aghast. He could get people to see the funny side of something especially if the joke was on them; he turned laughing at someone into laughing with them.

Richard knew that I would not keep a boat without him. I am taking baby steps into my new life. Volunteering for the Winter Night Shelter Milton  Keynes is one of those steps.

Thank you for your support.