A CHARITY working to combat homelessness in Jersey is appealing for corporate ‘top brass’ to rough it for the night by taking part in an annual fundraiser.
Sanctuary Trust will stage its 2023 Sleep Out on 17 November and wants chief executives, chairpeople, board members and senior directors to lead from the front in bedding down in their sleeping bags in a chilly St Helier car park.
Tim Ringsdore, chair of Sanctuary Trust, said he hoped his peers would step up to the challenge, and was looking for at least 20 corporate organisations to take part.
“We’re asking the so-called ‘C-Suites’ [those with the word ‘chief in their job titles] to experience a very different type of suite– sleeping on a cold, exposed car park floor on a bleak November night,” he said.
“From my own experiences, sleeping out is testing, uncomfortable and really makes you re-evaluate and appreciate what you have in your life – it’s said you’re only a couple of paycheques away from potentially being homeless and we know local businessmen have sought Sanctuary Trust’s support in the past.”
Mr Ringsdore is three-quarters of the way through his own rough-sleeping challenge, in which he will spend a night outside a different parish hall each month.
Sarah Tumelty, Sanctuary Trust’s general manager, added: “We know that businesses love a spot of corporate competitiveness by taking part in a charity challenge and it doesn’t get much tougher than this.
“We’re hoping colleagues will volunteer their chairs and chief executives to join us for the night and sponsor their efforts.
“The Sleep Out is about recognising, not replicating, what it’s like not to have a roof over your head – by taking part, we hope people will get a better understanding of homelessness and, in the process, help raise funds to support our work.”
Those interested in the event, or wanting more details, should contact fundraiser@sanctuary.org.je.
