Yahoo News Selfless man, 38, sleeps rough each night to raise awareness of the thousands of homeless veterans in the UK
A selfless Crowle man who wanted to "give something back" has spent more than 200 nights sleeping rough in a bid to raise awareness of homelessness among veterans.
Paul Priestley, 38, began his inspirational journey in March 2023, when he decided to take part in The Great Tommy Sleep Out, an initiative set up by Royal British Legion Industries in which participants sleep underneath the stars to raise funds and awareness of the 6,000 to 7,000 homeless veterans in the UK.
He began the challenge with the intention of sleeping rough for two nights over two weekends, but ended up staying out for an incredible 168 nights in a row, including over Christmas and New Year.
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With his three German Shepherds to keep him company, Paul has now been sleeping outside each night since mid-October, in freezing temperatures that recently plummeted to -6°C.
In just under two years since starting the challenge, Paul has raised nearly £20,000 for Royal British Legion Industries.
Speaking to Scunthorpe Live, he said: "It's something I'd looked at for a while, because I've got the biggest admiration for serving and ex-soldiers and it was something I felt really passionately about. I'd seen [the sleep-out] but not been in a position to do it before, and I'd been suffering with my own mental health and I wanted to be doing something to give back.
"It gave me so much personal reward from giving back to others and it really helped me on my own journey. Once I started doing it I was just hooked, and that was it for me. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done.
"You can spend one night or as many nights as you want under the stars and you can do it from anywhere. I was originally going to do a couple of nights over a couple of weekends, but I really liked it so I stayed out 168 nights in a row. This time round I've been out since mid-October, because I did my own challenge for Remembrance Sunday and spent 11 nights in 11 different locations with 11 ration packs and 11km of walking per day."
Paul, who also established the Forces Together group to raise funds and awareness, said the challenge has given him more gratitude for the simpler things in life and more empathy for others.
"I can either sleep at home or sleep outside, so I have that choice, but thousands of homeless people don't have a choice," he said.
"They must have so much resilience, because they've got nothing and they're alone. I have the opportunity to go home and warm up, but they don't. It makes you feel grateful for small things in life like being able to boil a kettle and make a cup of tea.
"Somebody could do something so small for you, but it means so much. It gives you a lot of gratitude and empathy for others. I do this all self-funded, but I've had a couple of businesses - including Taylor's Family Butchers and Raven Forge - and individuals supporting me, and them giving me such a small thing has meant so much to me.
"There are 6,000 to 7,000 homeless veterans on the streets in the country, and that's going up all the time. People don't understand that, and they ask me questions, so I get to educate people. Raising funds for charity is really difficult in the current climate so it's about raising awareness, too."
You can donate to Paul's challenge online by clicking here.
