Northampton's Big Sleepout: Freezing fundraiser returns with bookings open now

Bookings are now open for Northampton Hope Centre' s 'Big Sleepout', an annual fundraiser where volunteers sleep rough to raise money for charity and test their own limits.

The event, which has attracted more than 500 fundraisers and raised over £70,000 in the past, will take place in January at Delapré Abbey.

Attendees, armed only with sleeping bags and cardboard, will brave the cold for 12 hours overnight.

Those attending in-person will mark a return to normal for the charity, after this year's effort was forced to go remote due to Covid-19. Attendees had their own sleepouts at home, as gatherings were banned.

But this time Robin Burgess, CEO of Hope Centre, Northampton, is anticipating a great return for the event, saying he hopes to see the 'hundreds' of people taking part that have supported the cause in the past.

He said: "It's a really important event because it, firstly, helps to raise a big chunk of our annual funding and second raises awareness for people who don't have to sleep rough on the streets. You could say that the awareness is even more important.

"If you've never been through that it can be hard to relate to rough sleepers who experience it night after night."

While the difficulties of Covid-19 made this the first in-person event in almost two years, the Hope Centre has not forgotten what they learned in that time, with remote attendance now available to all. It is hoped that offering both in-person and online options will lead even more people to take part.

Robin added: "We will offer a combined approach so that people can actually sleep out at Delapré in the cold. But we are also offering an online option for people who either can't attend or would prefer to do it from home.

"We've always offered other groups the opportunity to do it remotely. Like the Scouts, Cubs, those sorts of groups have always done it remotely.

"This larger combined approach will put extra demands on us as organizers. But we know that people are hungry for that new experience we offer and many are keen to experience the real thing after last year's all-digital event.

"I think it will be great."

The event will take place from Friday, January 28 at 7:30pm to 7.30am on Saturday January 29.

Anyone who is interested in taking part should book their place at Eventbrite and follow @NptonHopeCentre on Twitter for updates.