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It's winter time again and, as temperatures drop,
bringing the return of the freezing weather,
most people are caught-up in the annual frenzy of Christmas shopping -
searching out those special novalty gifts for their loved ones and work colleagues.
But, at The Rucksack Project, we're helping people rediscover the real meaning of Christmas
by encouraging others to take part in a simple idea
and by setting-up a very different sort of Flashmob,
which really could help to change the world.
Hello, I'm Mathew White and I'm the founder of The Rucksack Project.
This is a little project that's making people sit-up and take notice
and think, "Yeah, I could go out and do that!" ...and people are.
People all over the world are starting to realise
that this is a really nice thing that's very simple
and you can go out and do this..!
You go to charity shops and you get:
A rucksack.
A sleeping bag.
A Thermos flask.
Put some hot soup in that...
...and some extra tins of soup that have ringpulls.
A spoon.
A fleece.
Some gloves and a wooly hat.
Some socks and some underwear.
...and just take that out in the winter months
and give that to a homeless person.
It's so easy...
Anybody can do this.
Through-out the year,
every time you pass a charity shop,
just pop-in and see if they've got any of the items.
You don't have to get them all at once.
You get the rucksack and then, another week,
you get the sleeping bag and the Thermos flask, and so on,
Gather them together through the year,
and then put them all together at one time
and then you take it out and you just give it to somebody.
It really is the best feeling in the world
and we wanted to show you how easy this is,
so we followed one of our volunteers...
Hi, I'm Amy
I'm from Bristol
and I'm a volunteer for The Rucksack Project.
AMY: I heard about The Rucksack Project on Facebook.
I think that maybe somebody I knew just 'Liked' it...
and I checked-it-out and really thought it was a great idea.
So I joined the page at the time just to find out what was going on really
and shared it with a few people...
I really like the idea of it being something
that you can do to give back.
You can volunteer to do it without having to make a commitment
This is something you can just do off your own back
whenever you want really.
You can make the pack through-out the year or do it in one day.
It's just something that you can do in your own time.
The Rucksack Project differs from other mainstream charities
because it's something that each individual
can just take responsibily of.
It's not a big, organised charity.
It's just something that can evolve
without huge amounts of donations.
The experience that I've had of today
has actually been really quite easy!
Most of the people we've spoken to
are really keen to help...
I've got almost everything that I need today, to put in my rucksack
and the things that I haven't got, my Mum's actually got
from going to a local charity shop.
If somebody wasn't able to put a pack together themselves,
they could help by speaking to other people about the project,
- just spreading the word and getting the message out there
to people that might be able to put the pack together.
If you're aware of people throwing things away,
just find out what they've got and take the odd piece
and then you may know somebody who wants to put a pack together
who you could give it to...
Hi, I'm Rhianan.
I'm Associate Manager for 'Caring at Christmas'.
RHIANAN: There's about eighteen people who will sleep here overnight
five nights a week.
There are people who get turned-away through-out the year
because there isn't enough space here through-out the year.
At Christmas, what happens is;
'Caring and Christmas' will then become the shelter,
but more '24/7'
through the whole time until New Year's Day.
So from the 24th of December
all the way through until New Year's Day,
fifty homeless people can stay.
We have put up-to eighty mattresses down if needs be.
There are also people who choose not to sleep here as well.
There are people that are not used to four walls,
that are not used to a bed,
that maybe have been on the streets for twenty or thirty years,
so they certainly need more things they can take with them.
They can come in and eat a hot meal,
and then take a blanket, take a sleeping bag,
and provisions that they need,
and then go back and sleep in the place that they have
for the last twenty ~ forty years.
Once they've had breakfast here on the 1st of January,
they will be able to go and have some lunch somewhere else,
but as for people being able to sleep here,
you know, where do those fifty people who have slept here over Christmas go?
There's only going to be eighteen beds left here after that time,
and the winter period is not just over Christmas,
it's going to include January and February and March...
I think The Rucksack Project would be good
certainly, even now, before Christmas,
it's freezing cold in the winter
and we can see the temperatures dropping right now...
So, for the people that choose not to stay,
that's brilliant for those people.
even during the day, to have something.
You've got to remember, people are not just homeless at night,
they're homeless all day and all night...
in the rain... in the snow... in the cold...
So, to have a rucksack that's got essentials in there,
mostly, the warm things in there,
you know, it's going to help them.
and also, the kind of things in there
maybe they don't or wouldn't go and access from somewhere else.
To have it all there means that they don't have to move from that spot
and say, maybe walk a mile 'that' way -
two miles that way to go and access these things
because it's all going to be there for them...
AMY: Right...
Hearty homemade soup...
We have got lots of vegetables.
Some barley.
and, um, some beef...
and a couple of...
extra tins just to...
bulk-it-up a bit... um...
Lots of goodness...
It's going into my £1.00 flask...
So, we've got some trousers...
which are nice and fluffy inside.
and these were donated -
from a local charity shop.
So, completely free!
I'll pop that in the bottom there.
This is my lovely warm jumper that I bought the other day -
when we were out...
And then I've got an extra fleece, which I found at home.
It wasn't being used so, again, nothing.
I've got pants and socks, which, again, were donated
from the local charity so -
they didn't cost a thing. A couple of brand new Boxers...
Some lovely fluffy socks - a nice black pair.
And I think it was, um, £5 was spent?
and they donated the rest of the stuff.
So, it just goes to show, if you engage with people
and talk about what you're doing,
that they really are willing to give these things to you.
A lot of stuff are things they are unable to sell.
So, we just got a huge amount of stuff
with just spending a couple of quid really...
So, my sleeping bag, I've tied-on here
because there's not that much room.
That was £3 I think, brand new..?!
My hot flask of soup...
And I've just got some toothpaste, a toothbrush in here,
some tissues and I've got a spoon...
and a cup for the soup.
A couple of tins of soup with the ringpulls.
And some snacks -
just found in the cupboard!
And then, I've just got my information for the Police -
Just explaining what's going on and that nothing's been stolen -
and that it's all been donated...
with a few extras on there.
One rucksack... ready to go.
MATHEW: As Amy and her Mum head into the city to make their donations,
they hope to be joining around sixty other volunteers
who, we hope, have also made packs to give out
to those sleeping rough on the streets
in our 'Rucksack Project Flashmob'
set to take place at midday in the heart of Bristol
and, in a location where many homeless people regularly gather.
Hi, I'm Katie and I just wanted to do something
to help someone else
because I feel so lucky to have a roof over my head
and clothes and food in the cupboard
so, I thought it was just a simple thing, packing up a rucksack
um, just to give somebody a change of clothes
and hot soup to drink.
WOMAN: Hello. I'm a friend of Meg Grimes
who unfortunately passed away.
She did a lot of work for The Julian Trust.
I'm here with my children; Finley, Paige and Grace
and, obviously, we've brought a rucksack for the homeless.
I've explained to my children that they're very lucky
and that some people aren't, so here we are.
LYDIA: ...and I just hope that it brings you some...
MAN: You're an angel... LYDIA: ...happiness... alright?
MAN: It will.
MAN: You're an angel... AMY: Thanks for coming!
AMY: No worries, I hope it helps COOPER: I was homeless for just over two years
up north... so I thought I'd come out and do this
because I remember being on the streets.
It wasn't great, so I thought I'd come and help people who still are.
They can eat properly, they'll be a lot warmer
and, just to think that someone was thinking about you...
Because, it's fairly lonely being stuck on your own...
and, obviously, it gets dark and cold
and there's just no one else there, so -
just to know that someone actually thought of you would make a huge difference...
AMY: You know, we so easily just go and spend £10
on something we don't necessarily need
you know - three coffees for example
and we don't even think about it.
But, if we can just spend that £10 on putting a pack together,
It's just such a great feeling really...
I... am The Rucksack Project...
I am The Rucksack Project...
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
WE ARE THE RUCKSACK PROJECT!
We are The Rucksack Project.
We are The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I am The Rucksack Project.
I'm The Rucksack Project.
BOTH: I am The Rucksack Project... here.. today.. wow!
MATHEW: YOU are The Rucksack Project.
It's not about the few trying to do a lot,
It's about each of us just trying to do a little.
And, with our combined efforts, we could make a real difference.
And, it's not an amazing new idea...
It's just simple Human kindness...
So help us...
by 'Liking' and sharing this video and our Facebook page
and you could help to spread this message far and wide
and we could make a real difference for homeless people this winter...
Your kindness...
may just save a life...
Thanks for watching...
[subtitles by Mathew White for SceneQ Creative]