Together This Winter: join our biggest ever Big Sleepout

Wycombe Homeless Connection is calling on local people to get behind its Together This Winter campaign, led by its flagship fundraising event, the Big Sleepout, on Friday 13 November.

This year’s biggest-ever Big Sleepout takes place at The Walled Garden in West Wycombe, alongside the new Together Festival, giving people another way to get involved, even if they don’t want to spend the night outdoors.

The campaign comes as the Government announces new funding and its ambition to get “everyone in” before Christmas. But local charities like Wycombe Homeless Connection will continue to play a vital role in finding people facing homelessness, helping them before they spend a night on the streets, and supporting them to find a home for good.

Heather Stanley, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Wycombe Homeless Connection, said:

"We welcome the goal to get everyone in, but the reality is that local charities like WHC are the ones finding people, building trust and making sure those who fall through the gaps are not left out. We already know Government funding won’t reach everyone, particularly people who don’t qualify for statutory support.

“Our supporters and volunteers have been helping people get ‘in’ for 20 years, and we need them now more than ever. That’s why we’re launching our Together This Winter campaign, with actions anyone and everyone can take, from joining the Big Sleepout and Together Festival to giving to our shelter appeal, volunteering at the Night Shelter, and raising awareness and money that will change lives for good.”

Money raised through the Big Sleepout will help fund the Winter Night Shelter, which opens in January, as well as additional accommodation needed in December and over Christmas. 

WHC also needs 350 volunteers to help run the shelter. Last year, the charity helped more than 80 people leave homelessness behind, the highest number in its history, while also preventing more evictions than ever before.

The Big Sleepout offers individuals, friends, families and colleagues the chance to take on a night outdoors, get sponsored and raise vital funds. The Together Festival is free and open to everyone, with donations encouraged, so people can enjoy the evening and support the campaign without sleeping out. 

Book your place at the Big Sleepout and Together Festival by clicking here.