Richie Roncero highlights the stark realities of homelessness, by sleeping rough over eight weeks in eight cities across the UK. This week he’s in Inverness

Highland News & Media

Watch Richie Roncero highlights the stark realities of homelessness, by sleeping rough over eight weeks in eight cities across the UK. This week he’s in Inverness - Highland News & Media on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00 So what's your name? My name is Richard Roncero, I'm the founder and director of Steps to Hope.

00:06 And what are you doing in Inverness? So right now I'm taking part in a national UK Sleep Rough campaign

00:12 where I'm sleeping for one week in eight different cities and I'm currently in Inverness on my seventh city.

00:19 And how have you found it? What's been your experience in Inverness?

00:23 Inverness, it's actually, believe it or not, it's been milder from where I've just, Newcastle was minus four

00:29 so it's definitely, the temperature's increased. It's just nice to be back in Scotland

00:35 although I'm really surprised to see the lack of homeless here, it's really refreshing to see.

00:42 There is some beggars but I've yet to see someone sleeping rough which is amazing considering what I've seen in the UK.

00:51 And what's been like the biggest thing you've learned over the last seven weeks?

00:55 What's been the most eye-opening thing? I think how being on the streets can affect your mental health.

01:03 I've got a family, a house, a fiancé and I've really struggled at times with my mental health being out here.

01:10 Depression and loneliness and isolation. It's been freezing, minus four at times with snow on my sleeping bag, it's been so tough.

01:19 But yeah, I think the response from the public at times has been really disappointing.

01:25 There's been loads of things, it's been a struggle to be honest.

01:30 And what is it, you're on a national campaign, but what is it you're raising awareness of and you're also raising money, what is that for?

01:37 Yeah, so I'm trying to just show the harsh realities of people out here sleeping rough.

01:42 I'm trying to just get people to open their eyes to what it's like on a daily basis for rough sleepers.

01:47 Steps to Hope have a residential programme. We've just recently purchased a 10 bedroom property.

01:54 So the funds that we're raising here is going to go towards refurbishing it and getting it open.

02:00 Yeah, and you know, it's come from your own experience, hasn't it? You've developed Steps to Hope.

02:07 What's your experience so far? What's led you to do this?

02:10 You know, 16 years in active addiction, I struggled to get the help that I needed.

02:17 So when I got clean and sober, I wanted to try and make recovery visible.

02:21 And that's why Steps to Hope was registered.

02:24 And it's available to anyone in the UK who wants to change their life.

02:28 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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