Byte Night Sleep Out

Tomorrow night, (Friday 3rd October) I sleep out in London to help raise money for Action for Children (ne National Childrens Home - NCH). It's the 10 year anniversary of ByteNight, an opportunity for senior IT professionals to sleep out in London to raise money. I'm part of a team put together by silicon.com, we're called The Silicon Comrades. There are 4 of us and as a team we've been charged with raising £5k. At the moment. not including the tax we'll get back, we've raised about £3.3k online with justgiving. I've got at least another £500 to add to that from office donations and even my Mum has been collecting on my behalf.

It's a great cause and for one night's discomfort on my behalf it's a great way to raise money. I've had the mickey taken out of me at work because I've had the temerity to use a sleeping bag and a mat so I'm not exactly emulating life on the street, but then I don't think that's absolutely necessary to make the point and raise the money.

I'm a bit nervous about it though, sleeping out in the middle of London, albeit with 300 other people is going to be interesting. We're sure to attract an audience even if it's just revellers falling out of the pubs and clubs at whatever time they do that now. What must it be like when you're on your own, you're sleeping in a doorway with nothing more than a cardboard box for insulation against the cold and drunk passers-by or worse. I dread to think.

This fund-raising concentrates on kids who are homeless. I look at my two kids sleeping peacefully in their beds at least twice during the evening, I just can't help myself and the thought of those two ending up on the streets scares the living crap out of me. A society that has any children teenagers or younger out on the streets without a home needs to examine itself and decide what its priorities really are. Money seems to be easily spent on saving financial institutions of late, or the 2012 Olympics, but not apparently so easily on homeless children.

So, if by chance you're reading this blog, please visit the justgiving webpage and add your few pounds to the pot, any amount however large or small will be gratefully received.