Losing sleep over youth homelessness
11 members of our Urban Splash team joined colleagues from across the industry this week, taking part in the annual LandAid SleepOut. Among them was Reiss Whiteley from our accounts team and in this article, he tells us why this is a cause he’s more than happy to lose sleep over.
Sale Rugby Club may not be your typical choice for an overnight stay in the North West, but last Thursday, it was the place in which my colleagues and I sacrificed a night's sleep for a great cause.
The annual LandAid sleepout is a twelve-hour, open-air event that raises awareness of youth homelessness in our region. It's a night of camaraderie, in which everyone comes together to raise vital funds for a variety of projects that directly support young people facing homelessness or at risk of it in the North West.
Motivated by the cause, my colleagues and I wrapped up warm, grabbed our sleeping bags and cardboard, and created our makeshift beds for the night. We swapped stories, cracked jokes, and took a moment to think about the challenges faced by young people facing homelessness.
We heard from representatives from LandAid, as well as first-hand testimonies from young people who have been supported by the charity – each helping us understand the real issues that people face when they don’t have a permanent place to call home.
Our Urban Splash colleagues Maria Katsarou, Imogen Boyd, Kelly Young, Keely Ford, Máire McKeon, Shelley Green, David Morgan, Caroline Ramsden and Julian Curnuck – raised a fantastic £7.5k on the night. We were led by director Nathan Cornish – who also serves as LandAid Chair in the North West.
But there’s still much to do, and we’re still actively seeking further donations to raise even more funds. So if you’d like to contribute just click here.
For now, we’d like to thank everyone for their support as we continue to raise awareness of this crucial issue.
Urban Splash Newsplash
Want to be kept in the loop about all things Urban Splash? Then sign up for Newsplash!
Our monthly news round-up with the latest and freshest news on property development, place-making, housing, architecture, events and careers sent straight to your inbox.
