Roughtober Sleepout

On Friday 20 October, a group of approximately 30 students and 4 staff members embarked on an overnight excursion with Rough Edges, a non-government, not-for-profit organisation who works in our local area assisting our community who are experiencing homelessness and other challenges.

Rough Edges is a cafe-style service where meals are provided free of charge for anyone who needs them, providing a place of connection is at the heart of what they do. 

To support RoughEdges, we wanted to allow our students to experience what it’s like to live without the security of a place to call home while making a real difference in the lives of people who face this reality every day by raising money for Rough Edges. After a small dinner, we visited six stations over the course of the night on a walk about around the Darlinghurst/Kings Cross area along with a contingent of students from SCEGGS. During our evening, students were able to speak with a variety of people including those currently experiencing homelessness, those who have been homeless in the past, family members, social workers and others all affected. These conversations were transformative and left us with incredibly valuable perspectives that built on a presentation given to our Year 11 students in Term 3.

Following this, we returned to St John’s Church on Darlinghurst Road where we bunked down for the night outdoors, experiencing for just one night what it is like to not have the security of a roof over our heads.

A challenging but rewarding experience all round for both the students and staff involved and one that we look forward to taking part in next year.

If you would like further information about the fundraising please contact Anolan@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au

Aaron Nolan
Acting Director of Service / Acting Assistant Head of Languages