Page 10 - NLN Nov 19

MHSSC BOUNDARY ANNOUNCED

Beddown

Everyone deserves a bed to sleep in. - Norm McGillivray

What Beddown Is All About How It All Began
The aim of Beddown is to take spaces that are commonly used After being made redundant from his last senior role which
and busy during the day but at night are left vacant or empty. was within a Not for Profit organisation, Norm started looking
Beddown then activates and repurposes the space at night into into the homeless issue here in Australia. He noticed from his
pop-up accommodation to ensure the homeless, those who research that it was getting worse, not getting better.
are sleeping rough, are then able to come and get into a bed Being personally impacted by homelessness he specifically
at night. Many of the homeless suffer from sleep deprivation wanted to target those who sleep rough around Australia. It
due to the conditions of living on the streets. Sleep was a shock to him to find out that there are over 8,000
deprivation can lead to many physical and mental vulnerable people who sleep rough every night
health conditions, such as: across Australia, that’s people that have to sleep
• Depression “ I want to impact on the street, on benches and under bridges. In
• Diabetes as many people as 2019 and in Australia, a first world country he
• Hypertension didn’t want to accept this.
• Obesity possible and However, Norm did not want to replicate and
• Memory Loss together with your help, duplicate the many great services that are
It can also impair cognitive function and lead we really can make a currently being provided. If he was going to
to alcohol or drug use. do this and make a meaningful impact, it had
Those who sleep rough are security conscious difference ” to different and it had to be something new.
and live in fear of being attacked and goods taken. The lightbulb moment came when Norm went to
By providing a safe, secure and comfortable place a local shopping centre and noticed that when he
to get a good night’s rest, we help restore health, dignity parked there the car park was nearly empty, the idea was
and respect for our guests. instant as he saw the potential in utilising the space, especially at
Beddown also works with other charitable organisation that can night when car parks are empty and vacant. After some research
provide complementary services such as laundry & showers, into car parks and their potential and getting Secure Parking on
food & beverages, health & wellbeing, clothing etc. board as a National Partner and the rest, as they say, is history.
The first space we are activating and repurposing is car parks. Principles
The beauty of car parks is they offer great spaces which are Beddown is being built on three foundation principles:
sheltered, secure, spacious, clean and can be activated very • We believe everyone deserves a bed to sleep in
quickly into pop-up accommodation and be popped down very • Repairing the quality of life, before building a life of quality
quickly too, with minimal disruption to the business. • Expedite the end of Beddown
Also, car parks are located in every CBD across Australia so easily
accessible by those who are vulnerable.
We are partnering with Australia’s largest car park operator, How Can You Help?
Secure Parking, who operate over six hundred car parks Donate. Fundraise. Volunteer. Partner.
across Australia and New Zealand. Secure Parking will be Learn more at https://beddown.org.au/get-involved/
working closely with us to conduct a trial of Beddown pop-up Follow them on Social Media
accommodation in Brisbane CBD car parks initially before rolling @Beddowntonight
out wider, across Australia.