This Friday, I'll be sleeping out in the open to benefit The Robes Project, which funds the only winter shelter of its kind in our local area. It provides a hot dinner, somewhere to sleep and wash, and a cooked breakfast for homeless guests every night between November and April. 

http://www.robes.org.uk/2009/

As corny as this sounds, I've always been keenly aware of the fact that I lay my head on a down pillow, on a nice mattress, under a warm duvet, in a heated home every night. I take a lot of things for granted, but this is one thing for which I'm consciously thankful every night. When I saw that Robes was asking people to sleep out in the cold to raise money for its shelter, I knew I wanted to take part.

Friday night, we'll be on the ground in the courtyard of Southwark Cathedral. I'll have a sleeping bag, warm clothes, and access to hot cocoa and coffee, which is a lot more than any homeless person gets on an average night. I want to get a glimpse of just how cold and, frankly, crappy it feels to be out there in the winter night air, and yet I appreciate that I'll still never grasp what it feels like not to know where my next meal is coming from.

Please be sure to let me see who you are so I can thank the amazing people who are contributing! Thank you so very much for your support.

With gratitude,

 Holly