Homelessness charity’s ‘Little Sleep In’ returns for second year

Families are invited to take part in West Yorkshire homelessness charity’s ‘Little Sleep In’ for a second year on Friday 7th May.

Last year’s inaugural fundraising event saw more than 80 residents and families camp out in their gardens and homes for the first ever major sleep in raising almost £10,000 for Simon on the Streets.

The charity supports homeless and vulnerable people throughout Leeds, Bradford and Kirklees. Its team of seven outreach keyworkers have continued to provide emotional and practical support throughout the pandemic, ensuring the most vulnerable have access to food and accommodation, as well as advising on precautions to reduce the risks of contracting Covid-19.

‘The Little Sleep In’ launched last year in place of the charity’s largest fundraising event, its annual sleep out where people experience a taster of what it is like to be homeless for a night.

This year’s ‘Little Sleep In’ starts at 8pm on Friday 7th May 2021 and anyone wanting to participate can download a fundraising pack from www.simononthestreets.co.uk that contains decorative bunting, instructions for building a tent and guidance on creating a JustGiving page for sponsors.

Throughout the evening, participants will also be able to share their pictures and stories on Simon on the Streets’ Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages using the hashtag #LittleSleepIn.

Natalie Moran, CEO at Simon on the Streets, said:

“Following the success of last year’s Little Sleep In we have planned a second date to encourage people to sleep anywhere in the home, garage or garden. Anywhere but your own bed! As we are still unsure about the future of our Big Sleep Out we are hoping to encourage as many people as possible to join us for our Little Sleep In.

We were overwhelmed last year by the creativity of our supporters who had made dens, created tents in the garden and found a way for the whole family to get involved in the event!

As an independent charity we rely solely on fundraising events, as well as our supporters and corporate sponsors, to survive. Last year’s Little Sleep In provided a much-needed boost to our charity’s income which helped us provide support to rough sleepers and vulnerable adults by arranging B and B accommodation, access to mobile phones, food and staff support.

“As lockdown eases and clients are transitioning out of emergency accommodation our support is needed now more than ever. We remain committed to helping those most vulnerable and can only do this with the fantastic support from the community and business sector.”

Anyone wanting to participate in ‘The Little Sleep In’ should visit www.simononthestreets.co.uk to download a fundraising pack. Alternatively email [email protected] or call 0113 3452270.