Sleep out for charity goes nationwide
A CHARITY sleep out set up to raise money to tackle homelessness is to be extended across Scotland.
More than 8000 people braved freezing conditions and spent the night in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens last December for the Social Bite event.
It raised about £4million for housing projects and winter care shelters.
This year, four events will be held on December 8 in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee in what has been described as “the world’s biggest simultaneous multi-city sleep out”.
The events will be staged at Duthie Park in Aberdeen and Slessor Gardens in Dundee, while Kelvingrove Bandstand is likely to be confirmed as the Glasgow venue.
The money raised this year will be put towards rehousing rough sleepers and providing them with support in each of the four cities, Social Bite said.
Josh Littlejohn, the venture’s co-founder, said: “Everyone
who gave up their beds that night caused a sea change in Scotland’s fight against homelessness and have funded a raft of major projects, including a major ‘Housing First’ initiative – which is expected to take 800 rough sleepers off the streets by 2020.
“For Sleep in the Park 2018, we’re doing something that has never been done before – a simultaneous multi-city sleep out.
“We’re asking for 12,000 people in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee to keep the momentum going and raise £6million.
“We were completely blown away by the thousands of people who joined this movement and supported Sleep in the Park last year. We want to build on this across the whole of Scotland.”
Amy MacDonald and KT Tunstall will perform at each event.
A full line up for each city will be announced later in the year.