More than 850 people will be sleeping out in Exchange Square, Broadgate, London and more at Houghall Campus, Durham, in the north east of England, tonight as part of Centrepoint's annual Sleep Out event.
Centrepoint works to improve the lives of socially excluded, homeless young people. It provides a range of accommodation based services, including emergency nightshelters and short stay hostels, specialist projects for care leavers, ex-offenders, young single parents, foyers and supported flats and floating support services.
Centrepoint is running the Sleep Out events in partnership with homeless organisations across the UK, including Keyhouse, The Amber Foundation, St. Basils, The Rock Trust, The St. Edmunds Society and Llamau. Centrepoint’s Sleep Outs aim to raise more than £250,000 to support homeless people aged 16-25 with accommodation, learning and health.
Comedian Tim Vine and singer Eliza Doolittle will be entertaining the Sleepers on the night in London, along with the return of Richard Madeley, host for the evening, and charity ambassador, Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox. There’ll also be music from girl band Stooshe and food provided by the RAF.
Last year, the night’s entertainment was hosted by Madeley, saw music from X Factor’s Rebecca Ferguson and a host of other supporters on hand, including David Ginola, Rav Wilding, Chloe Madeley, Scott Mills, magician Drummond Money-Coutts and bedtime storyteller Christopher Biggins.
Centrepoint’s patron is Prince William, and in 2009 he slept out on the streets of London to better understand what it’s like to be homeless.
Find out more about tonight’s Sleep Out events here.
