Roughtober is the annual community sleepout event designed to provide an experience of what it might be like to sleep rough. This year participants will be joining online for a virtual sleepout while raising money for Rough Edges. The event is designed to be both inspirational and educational.

This year’s event will be moderated by Stan Grant and will run as a panel discussion featuring people with a lived experience of homelessness. Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully will be participating in Roughtober 2021, alongside community, corporate, church and volunteer supporters.

Due to lockdown, the Roughtober panel event will be livestreamed to participants as they join online from their backyards, garages, cars, decks, or couches.

The funds raised from Roughtober will enable Rough Edges to continue our frontline work supporting vulnerable people experiencing disadvantage, marginalisation, injustice, or social isolation. The fundraising target for this year’s event is $200,000.

Over 116,000 people in Australia go to bed each night without a safe and secure place to live. There are more than 37,175 people experiencing homelessness across NSW. People experience homelessness for a myriad of reasons: trauma, physical and mental health, addiction, incarceration, relationship breakdown or financial issues. People in these situations usually live below the poverty line and often report a sense of shame, fear and loss of dignity, mainly as a result of feeling isolated. Many are disconnected from their families.

Rough Edges provides a safe environment where they can be part of a community. Sharing a meal or a coffee at Rough Edges is a rewarding experience on many levels, and a welcome pause from the stress rough sleepers confront on a daily basis. We provide a sense of hope and support patrons to rebuild their lives step by step. Every night around 60 to 100 people come to Rough Edges for a meal and human contact.

The food served at Rough Edges acts as a conduit, providing patrons with access to case work, counselling, free legal services, domestic and family violence case management as well as other forms of support from our qualified team of caseworkers, social work students,
volunteers, and lawyers.