Sleep Easy event raises nearly £11,000 for young homeless people

Local people have helped to raise almost £11,000 for YMCA Trinity Group at its annual Sleep Easy event, with this figure continuing to rise.

On Friday 29th March 2019, 55 people took part by sleeping out in the grounds of St Catharine’s College Sports Ground in Cambridge to raise funds and awareness of the hardship which young homeless people endure.

Some of those who slept out at the event included Nicholas Bewes and the Howard Group – a key sponsor of the event – Paul Smith of Handelsbanken, and staff from the Cambridge Building Society who also raised vital funds for YMCA Trinity Group. Their efforts helped to make the Cambridge Sleep Easy 2019 event such a success.

YMCA Trinity Group has operated in the area since 1852 and provides services for over 450 residents a year, including practical help for young people in crisis.

This fundraising event saw participants sleeping on DIY cardboard beds from 7pm to 7am and VIP attendees included Daniel Zeichner MP for Cambridge. All participants paid an entry fee of £10 that will contribute to the much-needed funds to help the homeless young people supported by YMCA Trinity Group.
Daniel Zeichner MP commented: “I am delighted to be supporting the YMCA Sleep Easy event for another year with local residents. The money raised from this event will help to fund vital wrap around support and move-on packs that include the necessary essentials, many of us will take for granted.

“Youth homelessness has become all too common in cities up and down this country and it is simply unacceptable in one of the richest countries in the world. I would like to thank everyone taking part in the Sleep Easy event and for making this issue a priority for them also.”

Jonathan Martin, Chief Executive of YMCA Trinity Group, took part in the Sleep Easy event. He added: “We have been delighted by all the local support YMCA has received. A tremendous amount of awareness has been raised about the vital services we provide. We would like to say a special thank you to Alex Collis at the Greengage Tree for providing the catering and the volunteers from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Cambridge who provided their assistance on the night, which was hugely appreciated.

“We are simply overwhelmed by the generous support with nearly £9,000 in funds being raised for such a valuable cause. The donations will make a huge difference to our services in Cambridge and we hope that everyone who took part will recognise the support we can offer and understand how every contribution can make a significant difference to people in our local community.”