Bournemouth: Winter pods needed for 70 rough sleepers - charity

Andy Talbot from the charity said the sleep pods were saving lives

About 70 rough sleepers in a town urgently need tents and shelters suitable for freezing temperatures, a charity has said.

We Are Humans said it was raising money for specially-designed Sleep Pods, which cost about £30 each.

The Bournemouth charity has handed out 40 shelters of different types in the area since 2020.

Trustee Andy Talbot said: "These pods are making a difference, saving lives, restoring dignity."

The sleep pods resemble small triangular tents

He added: "They'll keep you 10 to 15 degrees warmer than a tent would and they're considerably more waterproof than a tent.

"We plan to give every rough sleeping homeless person that can use a pod, a pod. We have some in stock... and we plan on continuing to hand them out."

The lightweight equipment, designed for homeless people by the charity Sleep Pods UK, resembles a small triangular tent.

Prince William's Homewards campaign focuses on Bournemouth and other areas with high levels of homelessness

Rough sleeper Ivan Edwards said his pod had given him a "new lease of life".

He said: "It was extremely cold this weekend but I got through it with the pod.

"It's given me a sense of safety. Also to make the next step to correct myself and get my life back on the right track."

The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area has the highest number of rough sleepers outside of London, according to figures from 2022.

It is one of the flagship locations for a campaign to end homelessness launched by the Prince of Wales in June 2023.