YMCA thanks Burton Albion Football Club as £31,000 is raised by sleep-out to help homeless
Trend News To Day in Google - YMCA bosses in Burton are celebrating as the fund-raising total from its sleep-out event hit an impressive £31,000 - and that figure could still rise further.
This time was a record-breaking year for the YMCA event, with a total of 188 people sleeping rough at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton or at the graveyard at St Modwen's Church, in the town's Market Place.
The event aims to raise awareness and money to help the homeless.
The sleep-out saw 173 people braving a night outside sleeping in the cold, either in the stone tunnels of at the home of the Brewers at the Pirelli or 11 people who slept in the graveyard. The event took place on Saturday, November 11, with the graveyard being the 'extreme' option as it was truly open to all the elements.
This is the sixth year that the sleep-out has taken place at the Pirelli Stadium, with Brewers bosses allowing the venue to be used by the charity free of charge each year, to ensure that as much of the funds raised as possible go directly to help to those in need.
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| Burton Albion Academy under 15s bed down for the night at the Pirelli Stadium |
Last year, the record £33,602 was collected during the event, a target which the charity is hoping to beat this time around.
Paul Laffey, the chief executive of the YMCA in Burton, has now thanked the football club for its support throughout the planning and implementation of the event.
Mr Laffey said: "We couldn't have done this without Burton Albion's support. Not only do we have access to the facilities at the Pirelli Stadium but the club put on staff to provide support, ran the soup kitchen and then prepared bacon baps in the morning alongside our volunteers.
"Ever since we moved to the Pirelli Stadium six years ago, the event has been growing and this is the largest number who have slept out. We opened an extra area of the ground to cope with the numbers wanting to take part.
"We want to thank Burton Albion and chairman Ben Robinson for the club's continued backing and also the two companies who provided the cardboard boxes and bubble wrap for those sleeping out – Paul Maddox, director from PH Flexible Packaging and Michael Fernhead from Chrysallis Consulting.
"I would also like to thank all those who took part for the one night in the sleep-out and who saw what it's like every night for people who are homeless."
The Burton Mail joined in with the fund-raising and slept in a tunnel at the Pirelli Stadium. Anybody interested in donating to the Burton Mail's contribution to the sleep-out event can visit the online dedicated fund-raising page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenWaldron2
What does the YMCA do?
The YMCA is one of the country's largest charities which helps to support and turn around the lives of those who find themselves homeless.
On a national scale, they supply more than 9,100 beds for those who have fallen on bad times, and have found themselves on the streets, without a home.
The charity says it firmly believes that every young person should have a safe place to stay and actively look to educate and support those who are in danger of getting in trouble.
Not only does the charity attempt to keep young people off the streets, but it also tries to give as much help and guidance as possible to educate those who they come across.
The YMCA has been credited as the largest voluntary sector provider of services in England and Wales which promotes health and wellbeing services.
By providing more than 270 health and wellbeing facilities, ranging from gyms and swimming polls to community halls and outdoor activity centres.
According to the charity, it supports more than 230,000 children and parents each year across the country, by delivering a number of family services including relationship services and nurseries.
Source: burtonmail.co.uk
