Vinnies CEO sleep-out: Sydney Trains boss to sleep rough

Sydney Trains boss Howard Collins will spend a night sleeping under two sheets of cardboard and with just a handful of rations.

Two sheets of cardboard, meagre rations and a winter‘s night in the open air will be the temporary reality for Sydney Trains boss Howard Collins.

But he’s more than happy to do it in order to raise awareness of homelessness, which affects more than 37,000 people in NSW.

Mr Collins is among the hundreds of business leaders across Australia who will spend one uncomfortable night in June experiencing what many homeless people face every night as part of the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

“I’ve been (working) in public transport for more than 40 years in London and here for the past eight years,” Mr Collins, a sleepout regular since 2014, said.

“Homelessness on the tube was always a big challenge. We were the warmest place at night and we dealt with a lot of homeless people. And when I came to Sydney I thought it won't be like that, it’s a good place and a great lifestyle.

“But I was pretty shocked when I walked around Central Station to see all the homeless people.”

Howard Collins, Chief Operations Officer, Greater Sydney, Transport for NSW. Picture:Justin Lloyd.

Howard Collins, Chief Operations Officer, Greater Sydney, Transport for NSW, will be taking part in the CEO Sleepout. Picture:Justin Lloyd.

Hearing the tales of those who have been homeless is the aspect of the evening that impacts the most for Mr Collins.

“Listening to the stories made me go back to the station and work with my colleagues in NSW TrainLink, community and family, and particularly the police,” he said.

“We set up an opportunity for the homeless people who‘ve been there quite a few years to engage with us to see whether we can do something different.

“And if you go there (Central) now, it’s a very rare event to see homeless people…..if they do come we pick them up pretty quickly because our staff are trained to contact community support.”

Along with other CEOs, Mr Collins will spend the night at White Bay cruise terminal. Events elsewhere in the country will be staged in parks and public places.

“Like most people in Sydney I think I would’ve walked past homeless people not thinking it’s my problem,” he said.

Showpro CEO Jane Lu at the 2018 Vinnies CEO sleep out outside White Bay Cruise Terminal in Sydney. Picture: James Croucher

Shane Richardson; MD of Alcohol and Coffee at Coca-Cola Amatil, at the 2018 Vinnies CEO sleep out. Picture: James Croucher

“The sleep-out is opening the doors to change peoples’ lives which is worth more than a billion dollar contribution.”

According to the most recent NSW Street Count, there are more than 1100 rough sleepers across the state.

“We may be returning to normal with the Vinnies CEO Sleepout back as an in-person event but we don’t want the rate of rough sleeping to return to pre-COVID levels,” Vinnies CEO, Jack de Groot, said.

“While rough-sleeping represents a very small proportion of overall homelessness, it is the pointiest end of a very sharp edge. The face of homelessness is changing – older women are the fastest growing group falling into its grip.

“Many women are driven out of their homes by domestic violence and more needs to be done to both stop that scourge and provide support for those who experience it, too.”