I'm sleeping out on the 3rd October this year come sleet, snow or shine
to say something about the issue of youth homelessness in the UK.
Tonight, over 100,000 young people will find themselves on the street. 1
in 7 of those experiencing such homelessness will have been physically
or sexually abused and 1 in 3 of those vulnerable youngsters will go on
to try to commit suicide. Action for Children thinks this is
unacceptable, and I do too. Every year, thousands from the business and
technology community spend a night exposed to the elements to support of
Action for Children's work to help prevent youth homelessness through
sleeping out at Byte Night. Last year, Byte Night raised a staggering
£1million to allow Action for Children to continue their work supporting
over 300,000 of the UK's young children, carers, parents and families. A
donation of just £5 could pay for emergency overnight support for a
young person living on the street. For a previously homeless young
person, £10 can buy a set of pots and pans to help them start to build
their own, safe home. By donating £18, you could pay for a warm shower
and hygiene kit to help a young person prepare for interviews, allowing
them employment opportunities after a time spent homeless. Every
donation you make will go directly towards combatting the root causes of
youth homelessness. Thank you for your support.