Warmer Winter For Copenhagen Homeless

Hundreds of Copenhagen’s homeless will have a warmer winter following the collection of more than 1,600 sleeping bags and 510 mattresses that were donated by this year’s Roskilde Festival crowd.

This year, the festival launched a special campaign asking the crowd not to just abandon any items that others may find useful – which would immediately have them categorised as “lost property” and stored in case they’re reclaimed – but to make their intentions clear by hauling them the short way to one of the site’s many collection points.

“This collection doesn’t solve our problems with garbage, but it does focus on the issue and perhaps it makes our guests consider leaving useful things behind on the camping areas as well,” Roskilde’s Lone Mikkelsen explained on the festival’s Web site.

“We are incredibly happy that this many sleeping bags were collected, and we have already handed out 35,” said Kim Clemen from Kofoeds Kælder, a Copenhagen-based charity for the homeless.

Among the other stuff left by those who appear to treat the Danish festival site as a second home were carpets, camp chairs, pillows, shirts and several pairs of brand new boots that weren’t needed in the hot summer weather.

— John Gammon