Beford Girls' School students sleep rough to raise money for homeless

The students raised over £1,000 for Bedford homeless charity, the King’s Arms Project.

In response to the elevated number of homeless people in the town, the students aged 16 and 17 at BGS have been tackling the issue in recent months.

Before Christmas, the girls collected over 4,300 items of sanitary products to donate to homeless shelters.

This was part of a nationwide campaign to give homeless women on their period greater access to sanitary products, and for the five per cent tax on sanitary products to be removed, which has led to over 110,000 people signing a petition.

Led by Harriet Knights, 10 lower sixth form students wanted to do more.

The girls decided to sleep rough for one night to empathise with the homeless, and in the process raise funds for the King’s Arms Project.

“This is a cause close to our hearts – homelessness has a great impact on women, and periods make living on the streets even more difficult,” said Harriet, who helped raise £1100 via JustGiving in little more than seven days.

“Sleeping out in freezing conditions was a real eye opener and made us realise how hard it is to survive on the streets, and how much homeless charities need the public’s help in terms of raising awareness and donations.”

To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bgs-kingsarms