News

Bethany Sleep Out Raises Over £28,000

Wednesday March 27 2019

Over 190 fundraisers braved the cold and raised over £28,000 in Bethany Christian Trust’s nationwide Big Sleep Out events this month.

Despite the wintry weather, sleepers of all ages camped out at the City Chambers in both Glasgow and Edinburgh (on 8 March) in support of the homelessness charity. While Wildfire Explorers built shelters in Edinburgh, two hockey teams from Strathclyde University braved the rain in Glasgow.

Students at St Aloysius College in Glasgow raised over £7000 on March 16, and welcomed a special guest – Sanjeev Kohli of TV show Still Game.

Over 80 sleepers from Girlguiding Edinburgh attended Fettes College (on 23 March) and took part in a scavenger hunt around the historic campus and joined in campfire songs before bed.

Shona Howard, community resettlement worker for Bethany, said: “I was apprehensive before going to the Bethany sleep out. I like my creature comforts and I didn’t think it was going to be an enjoyable experience. But the tea and biscuits helped, and we all got on so well building our forts for the night; we were all in the same boat and it demonstrated how difficult it must be for people without a home to sleep every night.”

Events and Churches Team Lead, Mairead Macleod said: “The Big Sleep Out was a great success this year. We came together and raised an incredible amount of money that will help Bethany in our efforts to provide support for people experiencing homelessness in Scotland. We cannot thank our supporters and sleepers enough for their generosity!”