Booking for Sleep Out events is now OPEN. Register today.
Our popular Sleep Out fundraising event is back for 2022 and we are now calling on local people and businesses to take part.
The Benjamin Foundation ‘Sleep Out’ events will be held at Norwich City Football Club on Thursday 20th October and Ipswich Town Football Club on Thursday 3rd November. Sleep Out challenges people to spend one night sleeping outside and has raised over £280,000 to support our work since its first Sleep Out event in 2015.
With an estimated 122,000 young people facing homelessness in the UK last year (source: Centrepoint), we help local young people who may be at risk of homelessness into successful, independent living by providing a safe home and support to almost 200 young people each night. We also help the young people to learn essential life skills, such as cooking and budgeting, as well as supporting their education and career aspirations while building their resilience and self-esteem, eventually helping young people to move on to independent living and manage their own tenancies. This vital work gives young people stability, new opportunities and prevents the street homelessness problem from growing.
Callum is age 23 and lives at one of our local accommodation centres. He has been supported by our charity for three years and says:
“The Benjamin Foundation has helped me with volunteering, cooking, cleaning and just feeling better about myself… Fundraising does help. It all goes to a good cause of helping young people get better in life. Every young person is different… it gives us more opportunities that we would never have had and it’s all thanks to The Benjamin Foundation and everyone’s support.”
With the continuing impact of the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis having a particular impact on young people, both financially and emotionally, The Benjamin Foundation is passionate about being able to provide young people who may not have had the best start in life with the support they need to live successful, independent lives.
Matt Garrod, The Benjamin Foundation Director of Operations explains: “Money raised at Sleep Out enables our charity to do even more to help young people when they need us the most. This includes providing emotional wellbeing support, learning essential life skills, developing their career goals and helping young people to move on and successfully manage their own tenancies.”
Matt continues: “We are grateful to our 2022 Sleep Out host venues of Norwich City Football Club and Ipswich Town Football Club and we are now calling local people and businesses to register to take part in this year’s events to support local young lives.”
Morrisons Freight, with a site in Great Blakenham is one of the businesses who has committed their support to Ipswich Sleep Out 2022. A team of five staff will be taking part in the Ipswich challenge on 3rd November.
Scott Maskall, Southern and Eastern European Operations Manager from Morrison Freight says:
“Having followed coverage of previous Sleep Outs and the fantastic work The Benjamin Foundation has carried out for over 25 years, we decided as a company we’d support the 2022 campaign with the aim to help overcome homelessness and social exclusion. We are always keen to support local charities and help where we can.”
Ellie Dixon from Norfolk-based Marketing and Design Agency, Nu Image took part in Norwich Sleep Out 2021 with colleagues and has already registered to participate in Norwich Sleep Out 2022. Ellie says:
“Taking part in the Norwich Sleep Out last year was such an eye-opening experience. I took part with some of the team at Nu Image and we all expressed how we were so proud that we did! It was great to see where our fundraising was going and who it was helping. It wasn’t a walk in the park but the community spirit was high and I am looking forward to the challenge again this year.”
Gary Johnson has taken part in every Norwich Sleep Out held since 2015. He says: “We should all make a difference in our communities. Sleep Out is a small discomfort to help raise awareness of this important issue and provide a future for our children.”
We are proud to be the Eastern region partner of the End Youth Homelessness (EYH) partnership. Each of the EYH member charities around the UK organise Sleep Out events each Autumn to help support young people to lead successful, independent lives.
Booking for both Sleep Out events is now OPEN. Book your places today:
NORWICH SLEEP OUT, Thursday 20th October: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/norwich-sleep-out-2022-tickets-382977364607
IPSWICH SLEEP OUT, Thursday 3rd November: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ipswich-sleep-out-2022-tickets-383440188927
Sleep Out is open to those aged 18 or over. For more information please contact The Benjamin Foundation on 01603 615670 or email [email protected]
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
(William James)
