Your say: Giving abandoned festival tents to homeless

Thousands of tents were left at the Leeds Festival site after the weekend was over.

We reported yesterday how supporters of Leeds Homeless Partnership spent Monday and Tuesday gathering up around 60 tents that had been left at the Bramham Park site.

They also collected around 70 camp mats and 100 sleeping bags as well as camping chairs, clothes and food, which they plan to distribute.

The groups plans to hand out some of the tents here in Leeds, with the rest being passed on to similar groups across the north of England.

Haydn Lee and Brett Sutton with some of the tents and other camping gear collected from the site.

Many of our readers thought it was a fantastic way to put items otherwise destined for landfill to good use.

Phill Brocklesby said: “Good idea, at least they are not going to waste but to people who need and can use them.”

Suzanne Murphy said: “So glad this has happened, although it doesn’t solve the problem of homelessness it can make somebody feel warm, dry and safer for a bit!

Andrea Barron said: “Homelessness is an ongoing battle in many cities. At least these items will go towards making the nights a little warmer as we come to the end of summer. Sleeping bags and mats are better than cardboard boxes for people on the streets...”

Gillian Pert said: “Good idea. Well done to all those volunteers.They work hard. All credit to them.”

But not everyone agreed with distributing tents to the homeless.

Jacob Boyes said: “This is shameful, it’s not okay to be homeless! Cluttering the streets with tents is not a way to solve such an issue. End homelessness not encourage it.”

Rick Poppa said: “So now we will have tents all over town where the beggars sprawl themselves out on the pavement.. Come on Leeds City Council, DO something!!!

Kristy Harsley said: “Can’t help but wonder if it would be better to try and sell the stuff then use the money more effectively for homelessness. Homelessness is a huge problem in the UK but I can’t imagine a tent is much use to someone living on the streets. Where will they pitch it? The streets in Leeds city Centre are concrete, a tent peg wouldn’t keep the tent down! And the someone would make them move on!”

And many readers were critical of the festival-goers who had abandoned the tents in the first place.

Gregor Nev Quinn said: “Can’t help but think this is positive spin on digraceful behaviour of festival goers. Glastonbury had a similar idea but you had to pack up the tent yourself. This is just an excuse for the mess left behind by today’s throwaway attitude.”

Liz Middleton said: “Really highlights the haves and have nots!”

Joe Noble said: “Why leave perfectly good tents behind. I remember a few years ago having to save up to buy a decent tent to go on holiday, yet these spoils brats buy one, or more like mummy and daddy buy it, then can’t be bothered to take it home. Also the number of wellingtons just thrown away along the side of the roads near the festival is beyond belief.”

Neil Gray said: “Should charge all those camping at the festival £50 for their mess too and give that to charity.”

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