Emails to the Party Leaders

These are the two emails I sent to the Leaders asking for sponsorship:

(Sent 16th November 2009 entitled: Mr Brown, Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg, you can all help)

Dear Mr Brown, Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg (If you could forward this to the Prime Minister Ms Harman, I would be very grateful),

This Friday evening, 20th November, while you are sleeping in a comfy bed, I shall be walking 18 miles at night on behalf of the Big Issue Foundation. The weather may be treacherous, but this is the point; thousands of street homeless have to endure that every single night for homelessness, as you know, is not a daytime nor a seasonal occupation.

The Big Issue Foundation does much to help people in these situations, giving them support with health, accommodation and employment issues. They do an outstanding job, but the homeless problem is getting worse, which is where I step in (forgive the pun).

I'll be honest, I am doing this partly for personal reasons. My son and I have been handed notice on our temporary accommodation. We have been on the homeless register for four years and continue to bid unsuccessfully.

The problem in Camden is acute. There are over 2000 families awaiting secure, affordable accommodation. There are 18,000 on the waiting list. There is an untold number of people living on the streets. The Local Authority response to this is to auction off existing council stock, including a home my son could live in, and also hostels where the street homeless could have a rest from their everyday existence.

Camden Council, which is a Tory/Libdem coalition as you know, will not house me and my seven year old son permanently, merely bullies and threatens me into accepting alternatives that are not in the best interests of my small family.

The Local Authority says it is the Government's policies and directives that keep us in this situation. The Government in turn has told me that it is up to the Local Authority to allocate housing. I received another email today in response to my fear of receiving an accelerated court order for possession of my home, telling me they will find me alternative temporary accommdation before the lease on this temporary home runs out next August. I'm caught in a vicious trap where all three main political parties simply blame one another instead of helping us.

In short, I could SCREAM. Instead, the Big Issue Foundation has given me an outlet for all these emotions of anger and fear and hopelessness.

If I could walk 500 miles
Then I would walk 500 more
If it meant I could finally get my son
A good secure front door and floor
La la la la, la la la la, will you sponsor me?
La la la la, la la la la, it's for others you can see (I'm sure the Proclaimers won't mind I've tweaked their song)

Below is the link to my fundraising page on the Big Issue Foundation's website. Any donation would be gratefully received:

http://www.bigissue.com/

If you would prefer to write a cheque, payable to the Big Issue Foundation, my address is:

Papier Mache Towers,
London

Please state if you would like your name and donation to be kept anonymous. Ms Harman, this email is not for you, it's just, understandably, very tricky to email the Prime Minister. However, if you are able to make a donation, do feel free.

Kind regards to you all and good luck in next May's elections,

Sue de Nim

(And this the one which followed it, on 24th November 2009, entitled Hitting Targets:)

Dear Mr Brown, Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg (Once again, apologies Ms Harman, could I ask you to forward this to the Prime Minister?)

I wrote to you last week asking you to sponsor me for the Big Issue's First Big Night Walk, though I neglected to mention that you had until January 20th 2010 to make a donation. I sincerely hope the three of you will do so. Symbolically it will mean a great deal to me, though it will mean a great deal financially to the Big Issue Foundation and all the homeless men and women it supports. "A hand up not a hand out" is their motto. Their vendors work very, very hard to move their lives forward under very difficult circumstances and often in difficult conditions.

Whilst I write to the three of you together, might I also ask what your policies regarding housing and homelessness will be, should any of you win the general election?

You know that my son and I have been waiting to be housed securely and affordably for many years, still without success. We risk being stuck in a benefits system for time eternal for I am a single income household. I do not want to keep bouncing my son around facing possession notice after possession notice in the Private Sector. He needs a secure foundation. All three of you are fathers; all three of you can understand that.

This housing problem in our society is getting worse, much, much worse and I do not think I am alone in wondering what the future has in store for us.

I succeeded in walking the 18 miles last Friday night. I did think of you all as I did so!

Here is a reminder of my fundraising page:

http://www.bigissue.com/

My address if you would prefer to write a cheque payable to the Big Issue Foundation, is:
Papier Mache Towers,
London

It is easier if you make your donation straight away. We are all busy people; it's so easy to forget. It needn't be much, perhaps just the equivalent of what you have in your wallets.

Kind regards,

Sue de Nim

(I did tell a few people I wrote to them and they made jibes about Brown making spelling mistakes. He's only human was my first thought. However, I can be forgiven for all mine and all the grammatical ones to boot for I am not a rich politician.)