The sight of snowfall on Wimbledon Common is a beautiful one, so it can be easy to get caught up in the romanticism of it all. But what about those who are caught in it without a choice?
We want to bring attention to the hundreds of people across Merton who sleep rough and would do anything for warm and cosy shelter.
The YMCA’s Merton Winter Night Shelter is a brilliant scheme that provides 12 places for local rough sleepers during the cold winter months; running from early December to early March.
Meanwhile, a project started by Hip-Hop artist Ed Accura called Bear A Witness has reached national attention. After a conversation with a homeless man on a cold street of London before Christmas 2016, he wrote a song in the hope of inspiring change.
“The song, Bear A Witness, pays homage to this gentleman and the struggles on the street as a homeless person. To capture the reality of the homeless situation, we decided to shoot the video in a real-life environment near Dalston Station in East London, which is renowned for homeless sleeping.
The director thought it would be a good idea to leave me sitting in position for 30 minutues with no camera in sight just to get into character. Passers-by had no idea I was shooting a video. People either looked straight through me or at me with pity or disgust. It was a total eye-opener.
What I can do through music and with your help is to change the perception on how we react to the homeless. Thousands of people including many celebrities have taken to Twitter in support of the Bear A Witness campaign, including the Deputy Mayor of London who has given the seal of approval.”
Bear A Witness supported by a powerful video has been released as a charity single with all profits donated to Shelter, a charity that helps millions of homeless people a year.
Whatever you can do to help is appreciated. Even just a chat and cup of tea with a homeless person goes a long way. Show an act of kindness to a rough sleeper today and help change the perception of homelessness.
