Join us any time in March 2022 for the Greater Change Sleep Out!
The Greater Change Sleepout is back for March 2022! Importantly, this year, you can choose to do the sleep out on any day of the year, simply sign up according to the instructions below and our team will be in touch to support you.
The goal of this activity is to hopefully allow you to gain just a small insight into what it is like to have no home, no warm bed to return to at night and most importantly, no safety. Not having a place to call home is the reality for many people and many will be alone on the streets, in squats, hostels and other unsuitable accommodation.
Greater Change supports those affected by homelessness move out of homelessness permanently by providing funding to reach specific goals. We provide support to anyone who is homeless or at immediate risk of becoming homeless.
By taking part you will help us raise vital funds to help more people move out of homelessness permanently.
You can help change someone’s life by giving up just one night of comfort.
Signing up is really simple and will take just 2 minutes of your time following the instructions below
Register to the Greater Change Sleepout here.
This will allow us to send you more detailed information and next steps for setting up your fundraising campaign as we get closer to the night of the sleep out.
1) Go to https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/GreaterChangeSleepOut2022
2) Click on the “Start fundraising” button on the right hand side of the banner
4) On the next page, make sure to select “Yes my page can claim Gift Aid” and to opt in for our mailing list if you would like us to be able to update you on the life changing impact that the funds you raise will have on the people we help!
1) Set a target! We are recommending that everyone aims for a minimum of £75 raised. Remember 100% of the funds raised will go towards helping someone take large milestone steps out of homelessness!
2) We have included default text on “Your Story” but you can and should personalise it to tell your audience why homelessness is important to you and why you are participating in our sleep out!
You can always come back to edit your page by logging onto your account on justgiving and going to the “Your Fundraising” page
1) Share your fundraising page to your social media network
2) Follow us on our social media pages for updates on people we have helped and issues surrounding homelessness. Tip: You can share these as follow up appeals to friends as you begin fundraising!
3) On the night of the sleep out, get stuck into things and send us photos/videos of yourself sleeping out. We will share these with the wider community and together we can show that there are people who care, who want to understand the nuances of homelessness and who want to help.
The Greater Change Sleep Out is a challenge that will give you a very small insight into what it might be like to sleep rough, including cold temperatures and wet weather.
As such, we do encourage that people sleep in a safe, outdoor environment to expose yourself to the experience of rough sleeping.
If, however, the weather is too severe or if you feel that you are unable to stay safe outside please do move indoors!
Depending on local COVID-19 restrictions, whether you’re sleeping out in your garden, at a friend’s house or with your colleagues in your business park – it’s important to remember a few items when you’re sleeping out.
Essentials: Layer up with warm clothing – a hat, a hood, some gloves, a pair of thick socks and some thermals are highly recommended! Be prepared for wet weather – we suggest bringing a waterproof jacket, a waterproof sleeping bag cover (tarpaulin will do!) and a large umbrella. Also a torch and any medication required stored in a waterproof bag.
Important advice: Conduction is the culprit for the heat loss that occurs when sleeping on the cold ground, and even a “warm” cold-weather sleeping bag is a cold bag without a quality, insulated pad underneath it. Cardboard, blankets, and/or a roll mat/yoga mat is a good addition to sleep on to lessen heat loss.
Non essentials:
• Cardboard, scissors & tape if you choose to be creative in building your shelter
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow – it is down to you how comfortable you want to be!
• Snacks and drinks for sustenance
• Laptop, tablet or phone to capture and live stream your experience and to interact with others doing the same challenge during the night
We have created a short information pack for you to share with your colleagues and friends. A good place to start might be to drop our team a short line expressing your interest and to take it from there Jason@greaterchange.co.uk
All of the funds raised will go directly to help clients we are working with and will be allocated to them via our usual pathway as described below!
You can send any questions or requests you might have to Jason@greaterchange.co.uk
