At Home in Guernsey launched the initiative to mark World Homeless Day today [October 10], constructing six installations in total.
‘We’ve got one in Market Square, one at the Liberation Monument. We have sleeping bags outside both of the Lloyds branches in St Peter Port and at the Bridge, and then we have tents outside both Waitrose branches at Admiral Park and Rohais,’ said At Home’s operation coordinator Caitlin Duquemin.
She and her team hope the installations will challenge the idea of what people think homelessness looks like in the island.
‘People often think of tents. They often think of sleeping bags.
‘They often think of people sleeping rough in the street. But often, and particularly in Guernsey, that’s not what homelessness looks like. We have a lot of sofa surfing.
‘We have lots of people living in temporary accommodation, people living in insecure arrangements.
‘So really, these installations are to try and highlight that issue and challenge that idea, and to actually serve as a bit of awareness-raising and as a bit of an education piece as well.’
Each installation includes statistics on homelessness locally, such as the fact that at least one in 60 were experiencing it when the charity first launched, alongside the real story of someone locally who has experienced the situation illustrated by the installation.
‘They’re anonymised, but those are actual things that people have experienced here,’ said Miss Duquemin.
The At Home team battled through wind and rain on Friday morning to get all six installations up and ready for Saturday, alongside a group of volunteers from the charity’s principal sponsor, Specsavers.
‘We’ve got the relationship with At Home because Dame Mary Perkins has been very passionate about working with At Home from when it was established in 2024,’ said Lisa Stephen, retail operations manager and chair of the sports and social committee at Specsavers, as well as a member of At Home’s fundraising committee.
‘We actually have a homeless project team. So we’ve got two members of staff at Specsavers whose job is dedicated to raising awareness for homelessness,’ she added.
The company also gives its staff three days per year to volunteer their time within the local community, a scheme several employees took advantage of to help At Home with their set-up for World Homeless Day this year, and additionally offers free services to those experiencing homelessness.
‘Anyone experiencing homelessness can have free eye or ear care,’ said Mrs Stephen.
‘It’s something that Specsavers has been passionate about for a few years now, and we offer it across the whole of the UK.’
Those in Guernsey looking to take up the offer should get in touch with At Home who can then refer them to Specsavers’ Market Street store.
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