From Monday 9th to Friday 13th November, I'll be giving up the comforts of home and spending five days and five nights living outside the Open Door Centre, raising awareness of homelessness and, importantly, raising vital funds for our charity.
 
I'm incredibly grateful to be joined throughout the challenge by Gregg Stevenson MBE, Rachel Pickard, Shaun Grant, Patrick Macadam and our Chair of Trustees, Wez Evans, who will each be giving up a night of their own comforts to support the cause.
 
Throughout the challenge, I'll be relying entirely on the Open Door Centre for the things we often take for granted, including food, washing facilities, electricity and somewhere warm to sit.
 
But when the shutters go down at the end of each day, that will be it. No popping home for a shower, no warm bed and no coming back inside until the centre reopens the following morning. I'll be spending the nights outside, experiencing just how important having somewhere to turn can be.
 
Of course, five days and nights can never truly replicate the reality of homelessness, but hopefully this challenge will help shine a light on the difficulties faced by those who find themselves without a home.
 
And whilst homelessness is at the heart of this challenge, the fundraiser is about something much bigger.
 
As many of you will know through your own professional involvement with us, Open Door is often the place people turn to when life becomes incredibly difficult. Whether that's someone facing homelessness, a family struggling to put food on the table, an individual experiencing poor mental health, or somebody who simply needs a friendly face and somewhere to feel safe, our doors are open to them.
 
We provide free counselling, crisis support, food parcels, community meals, peer support groups and so much more, often supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
 
But the reality is that none of this happens without fundraising.
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​Looking for support, advice, or ways to improve your health and wellbeing this winter?

We have a new creative health programme taking place at Burnley Library this November and December and invite you to refer anyone who may benefit.


Vinyl Revival is a free, friendly, and relaxed series of music sessions for people living with young onset dementia and those who support them. Led by Marco from Lancashire Music Service, the sessions will use live music, movement, and shared memories to create enjoyable social experiences and opportunities for creative expression. The programme aims to support wellbeing, social connection, and confidence through shared musical experiences.

These stories come from the 1950s to the present day. They've been housed in a jukebox, alongside an exhibition of photography and films, which will be on display for everyone to experience in Nelson Town Centre. 
The recordings were gathered across 2025 and 2026 by Rob St John, with Diane Muldowney and Michael Powell. Fourteen were never collected at all: people had taped themselves, or left a VHS camera running on a last night of a club, and their recordings had sat in a drawer for years.

From 18th to 20th September, venues across Pendle will come alive with creativity, music, workshops, performances and opportunities for young people to share their voices.
This inspiring festival celebrates young talent, creativity and community, bringing people together through a fantastic programme of events and shared experiences.