Charity organisers are once again joining forces with willing volunteers to spend a night under the stars to raise awareness of rising homelessness across the UK.
CEO Sleepout which was founded in Middlesbrough, is a national initiative raising vital funds to combat homelessness by asking volunteers to give up their bed for one night to sleep outside. For the third year running, the charity is inviting volunteers from all walks of life, not just CEOs, to take part by sleeping in backyards or front rooms – somewhere safe at home – as part of The Big Summer Sleepout.
Participants gain a greater understanding of the hardship of being homeless, while raising money for vital frontline services including the Big Issue Foundation.
Chief executive of CEO Sleepout Bianca Robinson said: “Instead of limiting those who can take part to bosses, CEOs, executives and directors within the business world, we wanted to give families, students, office teams and big-hearted individuals right across the UK the opportunity join us as we unite to fight homelessness from our own backyards.
“We’re hoping people from all over the UK will take part; all you need is a big heart and a sleeping bag – and a willingness to raise at least £100.”
To date, CEO Sleepout has raised over £3m to tackle homelessness, with at-home events like The Big Summer Sleepout raising £125,000 since the first one in 2020.
Ray Jones, CEO at TALENTBANQ, said: “I really admire the work of the CEO Sleepout team, and this will be my third time volunteering. The summer sleepout is great because it means I can join the initiative, even with a crazy schedule.
“For anyone considering it, all I can say is do it – it’s really rewarding. During my last sleepout in November, I woke up rather cold in the middle of the night and recorded a video. It made me realise that I was going to walk into a warm, safe home the following morning and there are many others who are not as fortunate.”
This year, CEO Sleepout is partnering with The Big Issue Foundation for The Big Summer Sleepout.
Bianca said: “We are delighted to have them on board as key partners – they do such an incredible job of supporting rough sleepers on a pathway to a secure and stable future.”
The Big Summer Sleepout takes place on Thursday, June 30th. For more information, and to get involved, please visit https://ceosleepoutuk.com/big-summer-sleepout/