Sompting councillor spends ‘extremely difficult’ week sleeping rough to raise funds and awareness

A Sompting councillor experienced a gruelling seven days sleeping on the streets to raise funds and awareness for Rough Sleeping Action Week.

With little more than a sleeping bag and a cardboard box, councillor Paul Mansfield made Shoreham High Street his home during the day and slept underneath the library at night in order to get a better understanding of what homeless people in the area have to face.

He said: “It was extremely difficult, especially in the weather we had, there were gale force winds and it was cold.

“By day two, I was absolutely starving hungry. I’ve never been so hungry in my life.

Mr Mansfield in his sleeping bag in the street

“But I’m glad I did it.”

During the week he said he must have only got about 15 hours sleep in total and survived on donated food – though he did pop back to his home to Sompting once a day to change his underwear.

Huddled on the pavement with a cardboard sign, he said it was difficult being ignored by people.

“I was surprised by the amount of people who had tunnel vision, who didn’t see me,” he said. “I found that quite disturbing.”