More than fifty businesses’ bosses braved chilly four degree temperatures at Milton Keynes College’s Bletchley campus in the CEO Sleepout MK to raise awareness and cash for homelessness and hardship charities.
The event has raised more than £50,000 so far for YMCA MK, Milton Keynes Food Bank, St Mark’s Meals MK and The Bus Shelter MK. Three hardy types from Milton Keynes College Group took part: CEO and Group Principal Sally Alexander, Group Head Chef James Carr and Workplace Trainer Richie Carter.
The team has raised almost two thousand pounds already for St Mark’s Meals MK, which provides dinner kit boxes to schools and children’s centres across the city.
Sally Alexander, CEO and Group Principal of Milton Keynes College Group, said, “We were delighted to be asked to host the event, as we see the challenges our local communities face every day, and we want to do everything we can to help the amazing charities that provide much-needed support in our city.
“Sleeping out on a cold – and occasionally rainy – November night, gave us just a hint of what it must be like to be truly homeless. We were in a safe place for just one night and had food and a hot drink in the morning. Genuinely homeless people are not so lucky, and the four charities being supported are a real lifeline for many of those people. Lots of thanks to the team from CEO Sleepout, our college colleagues who took part or helped make the event happen and to those members of the MK business community who joined in. The Milton Keynes College Group commitment to Build Fairer Futures is a sincere one, and we will keep looking for ways to support the various communities in our city, especially those facing real disadvantages.”
Angie Row from St Mark’s Meals said, “We’re so grateful to the team from MK College Group and others from the local business community who took part in the CEO Sleep Out MK to raise money for St Mark’s Meals. St Mark’s Meals will receive £3,159 from the event, which will enable us to provide 451 Meals boxes to local families. This will provide 1,804 plates of dinner on the table in homes across the city at the point when it's needed. Thank you to everyone who took part, and everyone who sponsored our fundraisers, for helping us to get closer to the goal of no child needing to go hungry.”
National boss of CEO Sleepout, Bianca Robinson, said, “It’s great to bring CEO Sleepout back to Milton Keynes, which has already proved itself as one of the UK’s most compassionate cities. The business community really pulled together for the cause, which is more important than ever. We can’t unsee what’s happening to people just like us - who are forced out of their homes and in some cases, onto the streets. Since 2013, CEO Sleepout has raised over £4.2 million via CEO Sleepout events alone, with only one full-time employee. So, I want to say a huge thank you to each and every person who showed up on 16th November, and to all their generous supporters. Together we’ve made a difference to the incredible charities working so hard to change lives day after day.”
Since its launch in 2013, CEO Sleepout has raised almost £4m for charities and good causes trying to tackle Britain’s worsening homelessness and hardship problems. The Milton Keynes event included a panel discussion with representatives from the four charities involved, explaining the support their charities provide to those in Milton Keynes facing homelessness and hardship, how the need for their services has increased since the start of the cost-of-living-crisis, and how the local business community can support the vital work they do.
You can still sponsor the team from MK College Group here.
