Blenheim’s first Big sleepout firsthand

Stories of resilience, community generosity and one chilly night outdoors combined for Blenheim’s inaugural Big Sleepout. The event drew 68 participants and raised more than $43,000 for organisations supporting vulnerable people across Marlborough. Marlborough Weekly’s Alex Roberton shares his experience of spending the night in Seymour Square.

5.20pm: I arrive at Nativity Church for the open event before the sleepout, fill out my health and safety form and take a seat. Seymour Square is already set up and has been since about 11am.

6.04pm: Silence falls as the mihi whakatau to greet the room begins.

6.11pm: Vanya Vitasovitch, regional manager of Christchurch Methodist Mission, delivers a powerful speech about homelessness in the region.

“1,981 whanau have needed to use our services in the Top of the South, the majority over the last 4 years, this number equates to 6.6476510067114% of Blenheim’s population. I haven’t rounded that number up or down as every one of those is a real person and deserves to be part of the figure.”

6.57pm: After a wonderful kapa haka performance by Te Rerenga o te Rā and Te Kāreti Kōhine o Wairau, we are served dinner and watch a video commissioned by Christchurch Methodist Mission. It shares the experiences of three brave individuals who have experienced homelessness.

7.25pm: The video ends and leaves the room silent. Wet eyes can be seen throughout the room. Ricky joins MC Shanan Barnett on stage for a live interview about his experience with homelessness. He speaks candidly about the wraparound services provided by organisations such as Christchurch Methodist Mission and how they helped him.

8.34pm: The silent auction concludes as Dr Sara Simmons and Rachel Inder, of Manu Ora, take the stage.

Rachel delivers a line that sticks with me throughout the event. “Tomorrow we know where we’ll be sleeping, we can have a shower, make a coffee, get some food from the fridge, the experience isn’t over when we pack up our sleeping bags. In our journey launching Manu Ora we’ve realised that housing is healthcare.”

8.48pm: We’re slightly behind schedule, but nobody really minds the extra 20 minutes indoors.

9.09pm: A closing karakia signals it is time to head out into the night. I grab my sleeping bag and cardboard from the car and find a spot under a tree. Nearby are Jarrod Dunn and Aimee Payne.

9.30pm: I add my first extra layer, taking my total to three.

10.30pm: We stand and chat as a group for a while, with Jarrod, Stephen Leitch, Kelvin Watt, Mark Unwin and myself catching up and probably putting off the challenge of making a piece of cardboard comfortable enough for a night’s sleep.

11.05pm: We all say goodnight and head to our respective sleeping spots.

11.06pm: I’d brought a cardboard bike box to sleep on, convinced my genius knew no bounds. The box would provide support and elevate me off the cold ground, or so I thought. The plan quickly unravelled when I sat down in the middle and collapsed the sides together, creating something closer to an adult-sized cot than a mattress. Maybe the flat cardboard sheets everyone else brought were a better idea.

11.30pm: Tucked into my sleeping bag trying to stay warm and counting sheep, I hear a group of people walking past the square after a night out. I can pinpoint the exact moment one notices us because, mid-sentance, he suddenly blurts out: “what the f...?” A valid reaction -- 68 people sleeping in a park is not an everyday sight.

1.42am: A boy-racer speeds past the council building and its rev limiter startles me awake. It takes a minute to remember where I am before I shuffle around in search of a more comfortable position.

2.37am: I hear Jarrod snoring behind me for about five minutes. More than anything else, I’m jealous of his ability to sleep.

2.50am: My bladder gets the better of me, so I head to the toilets that have been left unlocked overnight for participants. As I walk across the square, it seems the balance between people asleep and awake is about 50:50.

3.50am: In the same way a watched pot never boils, a watched clock tower doesn’t seem to move.

5.30am: I’m woken by the horn signalling the end of the event. We gather by the brazier to warm up and share stories about our experiences through the night. Marlborough Youth Council provides breakfast and Blenheim Rotary serves hot drinks to help everyone start the day.

5.45am: I head towards the office with the car heater turned up high and repeat the exercise with the heat pump as soon as I unlock the door.

I am grateful to have completed the event, but this moment is where our experience becomes far more removed from those experiencing homelessness. As Rachel mentioned earlier, I know where I’ll be sleeping tonight: in a safe, warm bed at home.It’s this realisation that hammers home the importance of the work carried out by Christchurch Methodist Mission, Crossroads and Manu Ora.

The Big Sleepout will return to Blenheim next year, and donations remain open until Thursday via bigsleepoutsouth.nz.

By the numbers

• 68 people took part in Blenheim’s first Big Sleepout. Participants spent the night sleeping outdoors in Seymour Square to build awareness and raise funds.
• Over $46,000 raised for organisations supporting vulnerable people across Marlborough.
• 1,981 people have used CMM’s services in the Top of the South, the majority over the last 4 years, this number equates to 6.6476510067114% of Blenheim’s population.