Bondholders urged to take part in fund-raising sleep out

Marketing Derby Bondholders are being encouraged to take part in a fund-raising sleep out in aid of YMCA Derbyshire.

Taking place once again at Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s Incora County Ground, the charity’s Sleep Easy event sees people spend a night sleeping under the stars to support local people most in need.

YMCA Derbyshire is one of several YMCAs across the country that have joined forces to raise awareness of homelessness during the national YMCA Sleep Easy Week, running from 8 to 15 March.

Now, it is calling on individuals, businesses, and community groups across the city and county to come together and take part in the sleep out, which will take place on Friday 8 March.

Each year the event brings together upwards of 100 participants who challenge themselves to sleep out for one night, so others don’t have to.

Last year’s event raised just under £30,000 and these funds were directed to YMCA Derbyshire’s changing lives fund.

This fund enabled the charity to provide a whole host of youth and community provision to enable those they support to move along their positive pathways.

Over the 12 months YMCA housed 272 individuals with 88 moving on to independent living, 61 entering formal education, seven going to university, 74 attending a job interview and 59 gaining employment.

This year’s event will raise funds to continue and expand the work that YMCA do, including its new service Padley@YMCA Derbyshire, which was born from a merger of Padley Group into YMCA Derbyshire in July last year.

Gillian Sewell, chief executive at YMCA Derbyshire, said: “We are extremely grateful to every individual, family and business that gets behind our Sleep Easy events, either through participating or sponsoring others to do so.

“It’s truly down to the funds raised at events such as this that we can achieve such positive outcomes for the people we serve.

“With the emerging cost of living crisis, we are seeing a significant increase in those experiencing poverty and/or at risk of homelessness. We are hoping to make Sleep Easy 2024 our biggest event yet, but we need your help.”

For more information and to register visit  http://www.ymcaderbyshire.org.uk/sleepeasy or call 01332 579550 and ask to speak to the fundraising team.