A few weeks ago, my kids participated in the nostalgic (for me) experience of calling grandparents and close family friends to ask for charity sponsorship.

Instead of the one dollar promises of my youth, during the fiercely competed MS Readathons or the barley sugar haze of the 40-hour famine, some of these donations were much more substantial.

To be honest the terrible sacrifice my kids suffered whilst sleeping rough in a tent in our backyard was perhaps more suited to a gold coin donation than the dollars that were rolling in, but given that the charity we were raising money for, Taldumande, is a youth service helping young people who are experiencing homelessness, I didn’t look that gift horse in the mouth.

COVID-19 has driven homelessness for many reasons. Financial stress, fear and loss of control has caused a flow of people onto the streets, onto friends’ couches and into temporary accommodation.