Made in the Midlands has donated £1,000 to Sleep Pod, an organisation who create emergency insulated shelters for ‘rough sleepers in severe weather conditions’. MiM also plans to help build the pods at a local Sleep Pod build workshop in Aldridge.
Founded in April 2018, Sleep Pod is an organisation who build portable, insulated, emergency shelters for those who need it most. The pods are insulated and self-warming can reach +11 degrees celsius when it is -6 degrees celsius, are wind and rainproof along with being lightweight and easy to use.
Since established in 2018, Sleep Pod has built just over 1000 Sleep Pods which have been distributed to charities and organisations working with homelessness across the country. This emergency solution to rough sleeping has been allocated to organisations in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Northampton, Sheffield, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Justin Devereux, A founder of the Sleep Pod, said that the coverage on social media has allowed the organisation to gain interest from further afield such as Canada and France. However, they have already formed strong partnerships with organisations working to support refugees in Paris, Calais and Dunkirk. Justin said the idea of the sleep pod derived from work he and two friends did with refugees:
“Myself and two friends, Ian Ashby and Pete Kenyon had volunteered with refugees on a refugee camp around four years ago. The number one thing we noticed was that all of the aid that came across was easily damaged with the biggest issue being the temperature, we knew if we could design something easy to use and portable, along with keeping you warm, people would benefit.”
Co-founder, Ian Ashby, works in construction and was able to design and build the pods with materials he uses on a daily basis. Each Sleep Pod costs £25 to build, with the organisation’s initial target to build 400, a total cost of £10,000. However, they have already raised over double this amount, a total sum of £20735. Justin said:
“When the donations arrive with us, from companies and organisations such as Made in the Midlands, we can buy the materials to make the pods which will then be distributed to our partners.”
Sleep Pod will be holding a workshop in Alridge shortly, with a member of Made in the Midlands. Jason Pitt, CEO and Founder of the Made in Group, was introduced to Justin by Martin Collins, Managing Director of Superite Tools. Jason said he was happy to get involved with the cause as it fits in well MiM’s Made Equal campaign:
“This life-saving shelter scheme fits in well with our Made Equal campaign with mental health problems being a contributor towards homelessness. I also thought it was a good opportunity to do something positive and raise awareness for an important cause.”
“Along with making a donation, the MiM team will be taking part in building the pods in Aldridge when the date has been confirmed.”
(Left to Right) Jason Pitt, Will Collins, Justin Devereux and Martin Collins
Since 2010, the number of deaths on the street has risen due to hypothermia and other related illnesses. The Sleep Pod has been created in direct response to people dying of exposure to the elements in the streets of the UK and further afield. Justin said that anyone can be involved in helping towards Sleep Pods cause:
“It's a very practical thing people can do with simple instructions and clever materials, to proactively give shelter to somebody and that can be reused repeatedly. There are a number of ways you can be involved whether it be donating, attending a build workshop, manufacturing or distributing.”
Find out more about the Sleep Pod and how you can attend a workshop by clicking the link below.
You can donate to Sleep Pod by clicking the below link
https://www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/sleep-pod-fundraising-campaign