A CHARITY hoping to create a memorial to remember those who have died while homeless is calling on loved ones to share their experiences.
Making It Out, based in Portslade, offers help to those at risk of committing crime without support.
The charity is aiming to create a sculpture in the gardens of the Brighthelm Centre on North Road, Brighton, that will reflect and honour the memories people share of their deceased loved ones.
A Making It Out spokesman said the artwork, entitled the Stop Sign Memorial, will aim to showcase ideas, words, images and more from those who’ve experienced the loss of a family member or friend while homeless.
“We want this artwork to belong to the people to whom it will mean the most and are therefore involving as many people as we can who are either currently, or have previously been, homeless in the design and manufacture of the artwork,” he said.
“We have created a committee of people to help manage the project and ensure that it meets our objectives of being designed and made by people with the most connection to the artwork.”
According to Making It Out, the average life expectancy of people who are homeless in the UK is 45.
The spokesman said by having a permanent memorial to mark the deaths due to homelessness that have happened in Brighton and Hove, they hope to make homelessness deaths more visible and aim for it to be a healing experience.
“We would like to hear from the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones whilst they were homeless in Brighton and Hove and would welcome their input to work creatively alongside people with lived experience of homelessness,” he said.
“The sorrow of losing a loved one is always traumatic, but this is compounded when living in abject poverty and having no resources to mark the death.”
Making It Out are organising small workshops and one-to-one sessions to collect ideas and memories.
The charity has also created an art pack which includes a sketchbook, prompt sheet, self-hardening clay, pens and pencils which the public can use to illustrate and share their memories.
More information on the sculpture and how to get involved can be found on the Making It Out website.
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