Young People United in Solidarity with the Homeless

Giorgia & Eleonora from St. Luke’s Parish youth group talk about an eye-opening experience they had supporting the homeless in Peterborough.

An inspiring talk from Steven Pettican about the many services offered by Light Project Peterborough only strengthened our resolve to support the charity. Light Project Peterborough’s mission is to support the homeless in rebuilding their lives through Christ-like values, and one of their key initiatives is the annual Big Sleepout. 

But what exactly is the Big Sleepout? It’s a yearly event hosted at the football stadium, giving people the opportunity to experience just a small part of what homeless individuals go through each day, while raising funds for the organisation. It’s their biggest fundraising event, but perhaps even more important is how it fosters empathy. As Christians, we are called to be selfless and compassionate, and we were eager to take part. However, as all of us are under 18, we couldn’t participate in the main event.

Instead, we decided to organise our own sleepout at St Luke’s! In collaboration with the Order of Malta Cadets from the Polish Catholic Mission in Peterborough, we committed to spending the night of 4–5 April sleeping in the church, dedicating our time to living out the message of empathy.

The evening began at 6:30pm, our usual Youth Group meeting time. As more people arrived, we made our way into the church, where the Stations of the Cross began at 7pm. It was a thoughtful and prayerful start to the evening – a meaningful reminder of our purpose. Of course, we were there to create memories together, but above all, to reflect on a pressing issue through the lens of our faith.

Dinner followed shortly after. Thanks to the generosity of Pasta Shop, we had plenty of pizza dough to prepare our own homemade pizzas. Everyone got involved – kneading, topping, baking – and it became a beautiful moment of collaboration and bonding, with everyone helping one another and sharing slices.

Next up was a round of Kahoot, with eight teams of three testing their knowledge of Light Project Peterborough and the Bible. While the quiz was fun and competitive, it also served as a moment to reflect. We went through all the answers together, making sure we really understood the message of the night.

Later, we split into two large groups for some late-night games of “Werewolf” – a game that challenges communication, teamwork, and strategy. It brought plenty of laughs and was a great way for everyone to connect more naturally.

As midnight passed, it was time to wind down with prayer and reflection. We gathered in the church to pray two decades of the Rosary – with a twist. Each of us received a small sheet featuring a photo and a brief story of someone who had stayed at the Garden House or used the services of Light Project Peterborough. This was a humbling and powerful experience, reminding us that our efforts are helping real people, and that prayer isn’t only for ourselves, but also for those in greater need.

Then came bedtime. We laid out our pillows and blankets on the church floor. As expected, it wasn’t easy – the floor was hard and cold, and the lights and sounds made it difficult to sleep. But we pushed through, aware that this discomfort was only a fraction of what rough sleeping truly involves.

At 7:00am, we were woken up to the sound of “I Like To Move It” (thank you, Sister Erika!). After a quick breakfast, we cleaned the church and wrapped up by 8:30am – tired, but grateful.

The sleepout was an incredible experience, and we were blessed to share it with our friends from the Youth Group and the Order of Malta Cadets. We’re so thankful for their help in organising such a fun and meaningful evening. We’re also deeply grateful to everyone who supported us – together, we raised an amazing £2,680 for Light Project Peterborough, smashing our target by 170%!

We hope to see everyone again at future events – the doors of the Youth Group are always open. Most importantly, this experience allowed us to reflect on how easy it is to take basic comforts for granted, and helped us better understand the challenges faced by those without a home.

It was an eye-opening night, filled with laughter, community, and compassion – and one we’ll remember for a long time.

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