Fifteen Of Us Will Be Sleeping Out On Saturday Night For Charity

Published on: 1 Feb, 2013
Updated on: 4 Feb, 2013

By Martin Giles and David Rose

Guildford YMCA has confirmed that 15 people will now be taking part in its 2013 Sleep £asy sleep out to raise funds for its work to combat youth homelessness tonight (Saturday, February 2).

We will be bedding down in our sleeping bags and pieces of cardboard and so on, in the garden of Willow Grange, Woking Road, Guildford – the home of the Bishop of Guildford.

Arriving at 9pm, we will stay in the open all night until about 6.30am on Sunday morning.

Those taking part with us include:

Anne Milton MP

Louise Punter, CEO, Surrey Chambers of Commerce

Sarah Greenfield, Selina Clifford and Catherine Fisher, of Barlow Robbins LLP

Rich Lee, The Good Time Guide

Stuart Alexander, The Good Time Guide and Kane FM

James Watkins, Surrey Advertiser

Chris Booysen and Jannie Vermeulen, the South African Congregation

Pete Brayne, CEO, Guildford YMCA

Val Brayne, CEO, The Brayne Household

And one latecomer (name not released)

Some of those taking part in the sleep out on Saturday, February 2. From left: David Rose, Martin Giles, Anne Milton, Louise Punter and Pete Brayne.

In an email to all those taking part, Guildford YMCA CEO Pete Brayne said: “Looking at some of your fundraising pages I can see you’re enjoying heartwarming support. Somehow this event seems to touch a chord. On one level we know it can’t be an authentic taste of homelessness but on another there’s a sense of vulnerability and not quite knowing what the night will hold that can be unnerving – though I’m sure we’ll feel considerably more secure in the Bishop’s garden than we felt outside the Cathedral last year. Several of you have done it before, and credit to you for doing it again.”

And here’s a quote given to Guildford YMCA by one young person who slept out for real: “One day the arguments at home just got too much. I packed a bag and walked out. Later that night I found somewhere to sleep behind a supermarket. It was uncomfortable but at least it was quiet. I was 16.”

Please sponsor us: to donate on line, using your credit or debit card, simply click on the box that is on this website, or call Martin Giles on 01483 537551, or David Rose on 01483 838960. Thanks.

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