One night in the open

Every night in Kingston town centre there are an average of 30 rough sleepers, with more people in parks and alleyways across the borough.

Even one person is an avoidable tragedy, and it is our work to bring that number to zero.

By reaching out, engaging, listening, advising and advocating we are the tip of the spear in the fight against homelessness in Kingston.

Winter nights are cold, the ground is hard, and when you carry everything you own it’s not easy to make the choice as to what to hold on to and what to leave behind, But homelessness doesn’t stop when the season change and the weather, any weather, is an ever-present danger.

Constant exposure to the elements is highly damaging both mentally and physically creating a spiral of vulnerability, which we work to stop every day.

Quite simply the challenge is to experience, for just one night, some of the reality of living without a safe place to sleep and raise as much money as you can to help us end that reality.

You can build a shelter from found objects or materials, create a bed out of cardboard or just grab a camping mat and a sleeping bag and sleep outside.

Just make sure there is an adult on site at all times, and that where you make your bed is somewhere safe and secure.

We have 2 options:

1. Download The Big Sleep Out Promotion Pack below for information about homelessness, KCAH and what we do, fundraising and some hints and tips for the night.
2. If you have or are a young person and you’re interested in a longer volunteering project, download our Young Persons Empowerment Programme, it’s a 13 week course of 1 hour a week activities to help maximise your fundraising efforts. By the end of the course, the young person will gain, marketing and leadership skills, increased self-confidence and be able to see the full impact of their fundraising work.

Which ever route you choose, as soon as you’ve created your fundraising page, we’ll be in touch!