A carpark is not a home: Bryden Campbell sleeping out to ensure others keep a roof over their heads
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The local CEOs who are braving a minus-degree June Canberra night on the unforgiving pavement outside the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House do so out of a desire to make a difference.
But for Bryden Campbell, the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout holds a deep personal significance.
Her mother experienced homelessness after raising three kids as a single mum. Financial stress and mental health issues mounted to the point she found herself living out of her car in the Dickson shops carpark.
Bryden, who was in her twenties and living in a share house at the time, felt powerless to help and was not aware of the range of services that were available.
“Homelessness is surrounded by so many complex emotions, including shame. The whole thing was so unexpected, and we kept thinking we could fix it, but days became weeks and then months.”
Eventually, Bryden and her siblings convinced their mum to move home with her parents in Bathurst, where she rebuilt her health. She has since moved back to Canberra, where she has a place to call home and the peace of mind and stability that comes with having a fixed address.
She is philosophical about her experience of homelessness, saying, “It’s one page in a chapter”.
For Bryden, the experience has left a deep impact.
Having built a successful Brand and Workforce Consultancy company, Brand Rebellion, with her husband David while raising two young children, Bryden had been searching for a charity that aligns with her values.
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout ticks the boxes. But for Bryden, it is more than a chance to raise money for homelessness services in the region. It is a chance to raise the conversation around homelessness, to explain that for many, it can be a transient experience, and that services are available if you know where to look.
“For our family, it was such a difficult time. We didn’t know where to start, and we felt embarrassed to talk about it openly. We called mental health services, but they needed an address, which she didn’t have.”
“What I love about this event is that it raises funds for services in the local area and also puts homelessness on the agenda.”
It is also an incredibly tough night for the CEOs who put up their hands to brave a chilling June evening in the elements.
Bryden took part last year and said while she had mentally prepared herself for the cold, attempting to sleep on the hard surface of the concrete was quite another thing.
“They make it very realistic, giving you a light soup kitchen supper and two pieces of cardboard to sleep on. My hip and shoulder really paid the price. And that was only one night.”
Bryden said the return home to a warm bed and hot shower is something she won’t ever take for granted.
“The other thing that struck me was how unsafe it is to be sleeping in a public. We have people all around us during the sleepout, but in reality, you have absolutely no security on the streets.”
By joining the June sleepout Bryden is helping raise funds and awareness that “it can happen to any of us”.
“I think that now, financial stresses are only going to be harder on people, placing older women most at risk of homelessness. I think we need to be more aware of the issues as a community, and this event is a really good way to get people thinking and talking about them.”
The sleepout is on Thursday 18 June, and has so far raised $134,000. Local real estate agent Christine Shaw is at the top of the leaderboard with an astounding $32,000.
If you would like to take part in, or nominate someone, for this year’s Sleepout, register here.
Meanwhile, you can read more about the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society which supports Australians all year long through Vinnies advocacy, education, counselling and housing programs here.
