Taskmaster star Alex Horne signs up to help Slough homeless charity fundraiser

Taskmaster star Alex Horne has signed up to help a Slough homeless charity for the ‘biggest fundraising event’ the group has ever undertaken.

Slough Homeless Our Concern (SHOC), a volunteer group which has supported vulnerable people for more than 20 years, is set to hold its first Big SleepOut next month.

The event will feature games led by Alex and performances from Slough youth groups before intrepid fundraisers brave the November weather to sleep out in cardboard boxes.

Head of day services at SHOC Mandy McGuire told the Express the Big SleepOut was ‘extremely important’ for the charity.

Mandy McGuire

“We’re seeing lots more people coming to the service,” Mandy said, “and people are having to use us for longer because there’s just such a lack of affordable accommodation in Slough.”

SHOC is a day centre for people who are homeless or facing homelessness, based at Quaker House in Ragstone Road

Nearly 50 people aged as young as 18 seek its help every day - although around 180 are registered.

Support is offered through hot meals, mental health professionals, and coaching to help people find jobs.

But amid a nationwide picture of strained funding for charities, more people are using SHOC.

And the range of people seeking help is also changing.

Mandy said: “When I started 23 years ago, it was mainly middle-aged men with alcohol problems finding themselves on the street - mostly white British middle-aged men.

“Now it’s males and females of any age and ethnic background.

“Drugs are obviously playing a huge part in the cause of homelessness as well,” Mandy added.

“Most people think that if a person didn’t drink or use drugs then they wouldn’t be homeless but the reality is for most people homelessness comes first.

“It’s pretty difficult to sleep on the street so people take a drink or a substance.

“For most people, it’s the homelessness that comes first and then the addiction.”

To continue to provide support for vulnerable people, fundraising events are more important than ever.

Celebrity backing is also helpful in raising awareness.

Alex Horne is an ambassador for SHOC.

“He lives quite locally and is interested in what we do,” Mandy said.

“He agreed to be our ambassador a few years ago and is really supportive of our charity.

“We’re really grateful he’s giving us some of his time.”

For the Big SleepOut, Alex is set to run several mystery Taskmaster-style games.

Mandy said: “We’re not divulging any sort of clues to the tasks he might set – they’re being revealed on the evening.”

The event is being held at Arbour Park stadium; the home of Slough Town Football Club whom SHOC is also supported by.

It starts from 5pm on November 29, with Slough Mayor Balwinder Dhillon expected to officially start the evening at 7pm.

Mandy said: “It will be a really great evening raising money for a fantastic cause – a longstanding charity that’s been local to Slough for many years.”

You can find out more about the Big Sleep Out on its website.