Member Article

FinTech firm sleeping rough to raise £6k for Yorkshire’s homeless youth

Automotive FinTech firm DealTrak has pledged to raise upwards of £6,000 for Action for Children, as part of the charity’s annual ‘Byte Night’ – which will see hundreds of people sleeping rough in Leeds City Centre.

The event is the UK’s largest national corporate sleepout, with individuals and teams spending the night in Millennium Square to raise vital funds to combat youth homelessness. All proceeds will go towards supporting those in need within the Yorkshire region.

Leeds Dock-headquartered DealTrak currently have several volunteers taking part – including the senior management team – with each committing to collect £500 for Action for Children. The total will be further bolstered by several inter-company fundraising sessions, including days out, lunchtime fuddles and raffles.

Ben Moore, IT Director at DealTrak said: “Action for Children do great work within our region. It not only supports people who are already in trouble or homeless, but it also strives to prevent parents and children from ending up in such situations, by offering support and guidance before it’s too late.

“It’s important to remember that while we are going to sleep outside for one night of the year we then get go home to our warm showers and comfortable beds, there are people who do this every single night and don’t have a choice. The very least we can do is to try and tackle the problem of homelessness in our region – if our own circumstances were slightly different, we could have all been in the same position.”

Chair of the Byte Night Yorkshire board, Steve Rake, added: “Byte Night has raised millions in support of vulnerable children and young people since its launch in 1998 and, as we approach our second sleep-out, we’re hoping that plenty of businesses – big and small – in Yorkshire will continue to raise the bar, as we’re an incredibly compassionate region.

“This is not only a unique professional networking opportunity but a chance to support some of the young people in our society who need it most. One night really does make a lifetime’s difference.”

Taking place on 4 October, 12 UK cities will host organised sleepouts. As one of the country’s largest mass participation fundraisers, Byte Night has raised over £12 million since the first gathering in 1998 – with 1,500 joining in last year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Mallinson .