Member Article

CEO Sleepout celebrates incredible success at its first Kent event

Charity organisers of a national homelessness initiative are celebrating after raising an incredible £23,000 at a recent Kent charity event.

The first ever CEO Sleepout in the area was held in May in the historic grounds of Leeds Castle, where 22 people spent a night under the stars to raise vital funds and awareness to combat homelessness.

Chief executive of CEO Sleepout Bianca Robinson said: “The first Kent sleepout was a massive success – it was a great night and a phenomenal effort by our small but enthusiastic group of company bosses.

“Even the sprinkler system coming on unexpectedly at 2am couldn’t dampen the atmosphere and even though those taking part were soaked, most were philosophical about the incident, resonating with the plight of rough sleepers.”

Funds raised from the event will be donated to charities on the frontline of homelessness in the Kent region, including Porchlight, which supports thousands of people who find themselves on the streets every year.

Bianca said: “Porchlight estimates that there are 1,000 people without secure accommodation in Kent on any given night.

“As well as supporting people who are homeless, the charity is currently campaigning for the local council to re-allocate funding towards homelessness, as this has recently been withdrawn.”

Jo Dawes, director of fundraising and communications at Porchlight, said: “We are thrilled to have been a beneficial charity for the inaugural CEO Sleepout event in Kent and are humbled that the participants raised so much money to support homeless and vulnerable people here in the region.

“The funds raised mean we can be there for people who need us – at the end of a phone, in our community hubs, supporting people on the streets into safe and stable accommodation.”

Speaking of the participants who took part in the Kent sleepout, Jo added: “It’s a tough ask of people to give up their home comforts and spend the night outdoors.

“We are hugely thankful to the many business leaders who chose to put themselves in the shoes of a rough sleeper and take part in the CEO Sleepout event. Not only were they great sports – surviving a drenching from the sprinkler system – but they were also fantastic fundraisers, raising much more than we expected.

“I hope they leave with a deeper understanding of the realities of homelessness in Kent, a sense of pride in what they have achieved and a desire to spread the word about our work.”

Since CEO Sleepout was founded in 2013, events have raised over £3 million to help those who are homeless across the country.

The success of the first ever event in Kent means the national initiative will be back in the future.

The next CEO Sleepout event is a UK-wide at-home event. The Big Summer Sleepout aims at getting everybody – not just CEO’s – to spend one night under the stars – in their gardens, or back yards – to raise vital funds to combat homelessness. The event takes place across the UK on June 30th.

For more information on CEO Sleepout or to sign up for an event, visit ceosleepoutuk.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CEO Sleepout .