Our most recent talk was delivered by Rotarian Nigel Collins. Nigel manages Mablethorpe’s Hope House Church which provides accommodation to homeless men, along with support designed to help them back into independent living.
Nigel’s told the story of how he helped a homeless gentleman become the first occupant in one of the four new Sleep Pods in Skegness, just hours after they were completed. Nigel posted a selfie of himself at the Pod to Social Media, almost as an afterthought, only for it to “go viral” with a massive amount of engagement both for and against. If your group would like to hear the tale, I’m sure Nigel would repeat it for a suitable donation to Hope House!
The Sleep Pods are something of an experiment to address the problem of rough sleeping by those who have exhausted all other options, and Nigel applauds ELDC for trying something new. Crucially they come with intensive support to help the individual with the issues they have that prevent them from occupying more conventional forms of housing. Whilst the Pods are intended to be a temporary solution, they can be occupied “for as long as required” so long as the rules are followed.
The 8″ x 6″ Pods are accessed by a code and have a narrow bed, chemical toilet, shelf, and a light and charge point powered by a solar panel. It seems they are a work in progress with Nigel’s contact complaining that they suffer from condensation making it impossible to get, or keep, dry. A common housing issue is that many options don’t allow pets, but happily dogs are allowed in the Pods.
If the project is considered successful we could see additional Pods in Skegness and some in Mablethorpe too.