The Big Sleep Out
We participated in the Big Newark Sleep Out 2023 this month. Our team of ten braved the snow and freezing weather conditions in cardboard boxes for the night at the YMCA’s Activity Village. The funds raised went towards three local charities, The Newark Emmaus Trust, Shawmind and YMCA Newark and Sherwood. So far in total, the event has raised a whopping £13,000. This event brought together members of the community who were willing to sleep out in the cold to raise awareness and fundraise for these fantastic charities.
Over a quarter of a million people are homeless in the UK today. And the crisis will worsen as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. The Big Newark Sleep Out aimed to bring the local community together to experience what it was like to sleep under the stars. Our team arrived sharp at 7pm, on 10th March 2023. They got straight to work constructing their cardboard shelters for the night.
Once everyone was settled, they converged around the firepit, listening to Charlotte Moon, a singer who was recently on BBC introducing music. After an hour of acoustic and singing YMCA, everyone returned to their homes for the evening.
Our team did a fantastic job, and everyone lasted through the entirety of night without taking the option to go inside, even with the minus three temperature drop in the middle of the night! We believe this was done for a worthy cause, fundraising for three local charities. We were grateful for the opportunity to experience what it’s like for just one night and just how important it is to help with the plight of homelessness across the UK. These charities offer their services free of charge to those who need it, which is why they need help fundraising and events like this make it possible. We smashed our £2,000 target given to us by the event and are currently at £2,820. This money will go a long way in supporting their important work and helping them to make a real difference in the lives of people in the community.
We’d like to thank everyone who participated, taking the time to fundraise and join in on the event and lastly a huge thank you to everyone who donated.
