A Frome couple spent a night sleeping outdoors to raise funds and awareness of veteran homelessness.
Tessa and Mark Everett took part in The Great Tommy Sleep Out on Friday 27th March outside Millers in the Westway Shopping Centre. Through the challenge, they raised over £1,700 for the Royal British Veterans Enterprise, which helps former military personnel rebuild their lives by providing jobs, homes and mental and physical health support.
“It was absolutely freezing and we literally slept out with the stars,” said Tessa. “We just had sleeping bags and some old camp beds. We took some camping chairs so if people wanted to come and have a chat, they had somewhere to sit, which people often did. It was quite incredible really.
“We chose to do it on the streets so that we particularly didn’t feel safe. We were prepared though, and the security guard of the Westway was on hand in case we had any problems.”
The challenge is close to the couple’s hearts. Tessa worked alongside former Royal Marines for a company called Protection Vessels International, and Mark is a former Air Defence Fighter Pilot for the Royal Air Force.
“On the night we didn’t have one scallywag,” said Tessa. “We had a couple of guys that came down and I thought we were going to have trouble, but the minute they knew that Mark was military, it stopped straight away and they just stood and chatted. Lovely.”
Members of Mark’s football team, Comeback United, also visited the couple throughout the night. “One of them came to see us about 12.10am and stayed for two hours chatting, which we were very grateful for,” said Tessa.
The Great Tommy Sleep Out highlights the challenges former service members can face when leaving the military. Tessa added, “Military personnel are not looked after, not by the government, and it falls to charities like this one to provide support. Every single penny raised goes to help former military members. We absolutely will do this again.”
