Campaign Crusader: Jean Madden

Jean Madden has designed a product that keeps thousands of people alive each year. Her Street Swag is a light, compact, waterproof, comfortable swag that has already been distributed to 12,000 homeless Australians.

An ABC documentary about people sleeping rough was the catalyst. In August 2005 as she watched the film, she was moved by the message that sleeping on concrete and on wet garden beds is extremely taxing on the organs and completely detrimental to physical and mental health. Jean decided that this was a problem that could be addressed head on.

After consulting with local community groups, government bodies and people living on the street, she realised that it was vital to create something practical, portable, easy to roll up and cheap. She designed a swag that rolls up into a carry bag with room for personal belongings that is easily camouflaged when hidden. The fact that it doesn’t look like bedding when being carried helps to maintain dignity of its user and renders the swag less likely to be stolen. Jean claims that it is the simplicity of the design that is the key to its success.

One of seven children, Jean said it came as no surprise to her family that she would devote herself to such a cause. “My family is Catholic and we were always doing charitable work,” said Jean. Her mum sewed the first 50 swags and then trained others who volunteered to help out. Then, a prison warden saw a television piece about the swags and approached Jean with the idea to get prisoners to produce them. By the first Christmas, they had produced 200.

Now prisoners at Woodford and Grafton sew the swags and students at Nudgee College in Brisbane, a Catholic boys’ boarding school, insert the foam mattress as well as a hygiene package and blanket. Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory are also sewing and distributing Street Swags.

"The Street Swag is keeping homeless people alive until the community is able to take responsibility for them, or until their families can take responsibility."

“The swags have been an amazing success, ” said Jean. “ But w e are only scratching the surface. There are probably 100,000 Australians genuinely sleeping rough.” According to Jean, the face of homelessness has changed dramatically in the last few years. “We used to deal with people suffering from drug use, domestic abuse and mental illness. These days, swags are distribut ed to families . In Brisbane, the emergency centres are turning away 80 families a week - but at least they can give them a street swag.”

Last year, in Copenhagen, the prestigious Index Awards Committee category nominated Jean in the Community Design category. She didn’t win – but she did win the People’s Choice Award.

“We got more votes than Brad Pitt did for his work in New Orleans.”

The award has resulted in a lot of international interest and because Street Swags has now has the right infrastructure, Jean can start to respond to enquiries from overseas, particularly regarding the use of the str eet swags for emergency relief.

Jean is pregnant with her second child and wheelchair bound for the course of the pregnancy. “I would love to not be doing this. It would be great to stay home and bake cookies. But that is not a luxury I can afford when there are good people who need a Street Swag. I can’t say to a little girl who doesn’t have somewhere to sleep - sorry you can’t have one”.

Jean does feel very supported by their board of directors, sponsors, the students and the prisoners who produce the Street Swags as well the organisations who distribute them on the street. “The Australian Stockbrokers Association have been amazing – with their support we now have a part time staff member. Also the Pro Bono work that Clayton Utz has done for us has been instrumental”, said Jean.

Jean is also a school teacher with a Masters in Theology. She was the Queensland finalist for the Young Australian of the Year award 2010 .