First Year boys raise over £21,000 for homelessness charity

The 13th annual Novi Sleepout raised awareness and funds for Kent-based homelessness charity, Porchlight.

Alongside the important fundraising element, the two-day event sought to build empathy through shared experience by challenging the boys to spend the night sleeping in cardboard shelters in the Quad.

Porchlight Coach and Key Worker, Maurice ‘Mossy’ Sturgess delivered a powerful talk about his experience of being homeless and his struggles, including how Porchlight has transformed his life.

Acknowledging the ongoing partnership with Tonbridge School, Mossy said, “The reason the fundraising is so important, and why we are so grateful for the support Tonbridge provides us year in, year out, is because it changes people’s lives. I have my own personal experiences of that change and know how powerful it can be.”

After clearing their shelters the next morning, the boys spent the day undertaking a range of activities organised by Porchlight and Tonbridge Community Action, which allowed them to implement lessons learnt from the previous evening. From budgeting to writing postcards to local MPs and hearing from the Porchlight Chair of Trustees, Patrick Fuller, the Novi embraced every aspect of the experience.

Ethan (CH1) said, “Mossy’s presentation and the whole experience definitely showed us what really happens. It was a strong reminder that you shouldn’t have any preconceived ideas about people who are homeless, and that it can happen to anyone.”

Savva (HS1) added, “The harsh reality of what people living on the streets go through really stuck with me… we also had a lot of generous donations and it’s really nice to see the support for our efforts.”

Georgiy (PS1) concluded, “I want to say thank you to everyone who donated. You have helped us save lives.”