SLEEPOUT: Transition Year students at St Brigid’s Secondary School will tonight (Friday) sleep outside their school to raise funds for St Vincent De Paul and Novas while also raising awareness of homelessness. Photo: Grigoriy Geniyevskiy

By Grigoriy Geniyevskiy

Killarney students are hoping the cold and rain stays away tonight (Friday) – as they complete a full night’s sleepout for the homeless.

From 11pm to 7am TY students at St Brigid’s Secondary School will sleep outside their school to raise vital funds for St Vincent De Paul and Novas while also raising awareness of homelessness within the school community.

“They will experience some of the challenges faced by those who are homeless by sleeping outside our school building, but still on school grounds for safety reasons, with only a sleeping bag and cardboard to lie on,” teacher Stephanie Horan told the Killarney Advertiser.

“This really is a fantastic group activity where TY students have worked together to organise the sleepout, fundraise and have an enlightening experience. They have shown a huge capacity for empathy, knowing that so many are touched by homelessness in Ireland.”

The students went on a school tour to Dublin and had encountered homelessness, she added.

“They want to build empathy and awareness of the hardships endured by people who are homeless. One half of my TY Religion class is organising it, but all 60 TY students will participate. The other half of my TY class organised the ‘Dignity Pack’ appeal before Christmas which was very successful. I am a very proud teacher.”