A total of 150 people took part in our Big Sleep Out at Reading Abbey Ruins on World Homeless Day (Thursday 10 October) and raised an incredible £60,000 – a record fundraising total for the event.
Now in its fifteenth year, Big Sleep Out is a fundraising challenge where people swap the luxury of a home and a comfortable bed, for the outdoors and a sleeping bag for the night – all to raise vital funds and help us prevent homelessness in Reading. A change of date and location for 2019 saw participants sleep out and mark World Homeless Day at the historic Reading Abbey Ruins. The event exceeded the charity’s £40,000 fundraising target and more than doubled last year’s total (26k).
To kick off the night, Big Sleep Out participants gathered at St Laurence’s Church in Friar Street for a packed programme of entertainment, which was hosted by Patron, Danyl Johnson, and attended by special guests, Lucy Zeal, High Sheriff of Berkshire; Cllr Paul Woodward, Mayor of Reading; and Sir John Madejski. The evening included a quiz and auction hosted by Reading FC ex-footballer, Ady Williams; live music by local artist, Bethia; and a hot meal cooked by local caterer, Chef Roots. Our Support Housing Team Leader, Luke Howarth, and CEO, Ian Caren also gave talks about homelessness and the difference donations make to those we support.
The participants made their way to Reading Abbey Ruins at 10.00pm to bed down for the evening, before it was lights out at 11.30pm. As forecast, heavy rain began at midnight and continued throughout the night, leaving many participants exposed to the elements in just their sleeping bags. At 4.00am we made the decision to move the event back to St Laurence’s Church due to health and safety concerns for participants.
Ian Caren, Chief Executive of Launchpad, said the event was a huge success: “Big Sleep Out gives a brief insight into some of the things you might face if you are street homeless – such as cold temperatures, an uncomfortable bed and limited sleep – while raising money for Launchpad. Our participants certainly had that experience. They slept out at the Ruins for most of the night and withstood some extremely tough conditions, and raised a record amount of money. They even had smiles on their faces the next morning too!
“We couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who slept out, donated and volunteered on the night – as well as our sponsor, The Oracle, and our Patrons and special guests for their support. Everyone deserves a clean, safe and stable place to live, and because of our community’s support and generosity, Launchpad can continue our vital work to prevent homelessness in Reading and help vulnerable people back on their feet.”
Check out all the photos from Big Sleep out 2019 on Facebook.
Our next fundraising event will be the much-loved carol service, Carols by Candlelight, at Reading Minster. Join a congregation of hundreds to mark the start of the festive season on Thursday 5 December and enjoy traditional Christmas carols, a children’s choir and special guest speakers – all to raise vital funds for Launchpad. Tickets available via our website from Monday 28 October.
