Sleep Pod: The charity providing shelter to rough sleepers in the UK as “emergency aids”

UK-based Charity Sleep Pod are tackling the influx of rough sleepers in the UK and refugees in Europe by providing alternative tent sheltering.

Although the homeless community struggle with finding permanent housing, temporary solutions are just as hard to find.

Shelter Scotland stated: “Every 18 minutes a household in Scotland becomes homeless”.

Similarly, Scottish Household Survey data estimated: “Around 5,300 adults slept rough at least once a year in Scotland… Over 700 people on a typical night”.

Sleep Pod were spurred on by “an alarming number of deaths in the UK and across Europe… [and aim to provide to those] most in need of protection from the elements as they sleep on the streets.

“We know from research that all too often people still die from hypothermia and exposure on the streets of the UK and we have designed the Sleep Pod to be a part of the solution to bring an end of this tragic issue”.

Sheltering structures outside must stay warm throughout the winter months, and Sleep Pod guarantee insulation as a priority feature in their tents. The tents also do not retain moisture and are extremely simple to pitch and to pack away.

Pod designer, Ian Ashby stated: “We’re not trying to stop homelessness or change anything in a big way like that, but we’re offering people the opportunity to just get through a night in a reasonable amount of comfort and warmth, and some degree of safety”.

 

The charity’s website sleeppod.org.uk and YouTube channel Sleep Pod UK have a range of videos showing the ease of practicality for everyday use and the process for mass-producing the tents.

Being both extremely cost-efficient (costing £30 to make per pod) and insulative to curb drastic weather conditions, the charity has built an estimated 6,500 pods so far with a contribution figure of over 3,000 volunteers.

London charity, Operation Help the Homeless, believe that Sleep Pod could triple their distribution if they had the facilities to expand.

Street Angels (Southampton), “vouch for how fantastically clever and simple [the tents] are to use” and state that Sleep Pod “are literally saving lives”.

The volunteer group added, “We saw a few of the guys in town… and [we] asked how the Sleep Pods were and it was a unanimous thumbs up. They said they were very warm and easy to use. Definitely a hit”.

Helping the homeless community became a priority particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when a ‘Protect and Vaccinate’ scheme was fronted by the UK government in 2021 which aimed to increase vaccinations of rough sleepers – whilst arranging safe accommodation for them.

As of September 2022, the UK government is investing £2 billion over the next three years to counter homelessness and to permanently end rough sleeping.

But for now, the homeless community remain at a disadvantage due to little choice for shelter.

During a recent housing and communities committee meeting in West Dunbartonshire, councillor Michelle McGinty stated: “The perception within our community is the only way you will get a house is if you become homeless”.

The priority is to house the homeless, not to push for temporary sheltering.