Former addict plans to sleep rough for six months to raise money for facility

A former addict is set to spend six months sleeping rough in a bid to raise £1 million for a new recovery facility.

Richie Roncero, a recovering drug addict, hopes to raise the funds for the construction of a residential facility for recovering drug addicts in West Lothian.

Mr Roncero will sleep rough in 26 cities over six months, with locations chosen by his supporters on social media.

The 42-year-old, from Edinburgh, says he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on cocaine having been a user since he was 15 years old.

He has been in recovery since 2014.

Mr Roncero has since founded the charity Steps to Hope, which he started in 2018, initially distributing hats and gloves to people sleeping rough.

Roncero has already completed a similar challenge before. PA Media

Shortly before lockdown, he purchased a van which allowed him to deliver food to people experiencing homelessness when many soup kitchens were forced to close as a result of Covid-19.

The £1 million target would fund the construction of a five-bedroom residential recovery facility and cover its operating costs for one year.

The fresh campaign comes after the charity opened Hope House in August 2024, a 10-bed residential programme in West Lothian.

The facility was funded through an eight-week rough sleeping challenge which raised £240,000.

Mr Roncero said: “Last month alone we carried out 34 assessments but we can only support 10 people at a time.

“A young woman came to us asking for a room and we couldn’t offer her one because we didn’t have the space. A week later she was dead. I don’t ever want that to happen again.

“I am dreading this challenge. It’s not like running a marathon. People are genuinely worried for me and I’m worried about myself.

“It was horrendous last time and this challenge is three times longer. But the cause is more important than me. We need to be able to help more people.”

His original eight-week rough sleeping challenge took him to Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Blackpool, Manchester, Dundee, Newcastle and Inverness.

Mr Roncero said the first challenge was “one of the most traumatic experiences of my life” but is willing to do it again to raise money for the cause.

He said: “It took me to a bad place mentally, but I knew there was an end date. Most people sleeping rough don’t have that.

“When you sleep on concrete you might get 40 minutes of sleep at a time, especially in winter.

“When I experienced homelessness during my addiction, I was using drugs and could numb the pain. When I do it to raise money, I’m sober and will feel every bit of the cold and isolation.

“Being freezing cold while thousands of people walk past you, ignore you, sneer at you or sometimes threaten you changes you, but we are turning people away because we don’t have enough beds.

“Last time round was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life – and that was only eight weeks – but I’ll do whatever I can to create more space to help more people.”

Richie Roncero hopes to help more addicts by providing them with a residence. PA Media

Starting on October 17, carrying only a sleeping bag, a toothbrush and his phone, Mr Roncero will document the journey in each city.

Mr Roncero, who has three children, grew up in a house with alcoholism himself and ended up spending thousands of pounds of drugs.

He said: “In total I spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on drugs. I took out payday loans, sold everything I had and everything my children had. I used to fantasise about dying. I was a complete mess.

“When I first went to rehab it didn’t work. I left early and used cocaine every day for nine months. But eventually a 12-step programme transformed my life.”

Mr Roncero continued: “I support safe consumption rooms, but there needs to be proper investment in people who want to get out of addiction.

“There are too many hoops to jump through and too many barriers linked to funding or postcode. I’ll do what I can, but there needs to be facilities like this in every city. People who want help should have access.”