Kettering sleep out event raises more than £8,000 for homeless charity Accommodation Concern

Supporters of a charity dedicated to preventing and relieving poverty and homelessness in North Northants have raised £8,000 through a night of fundraising at Wicksteed Park.

Accommodation Concern saw the fundraising boost from a quiz, attended by 120 people, followed by 20 plucky volunteers taking part in a sponsored sleepout.

Bundled up in sleeping bags, the brave participants spent a night under the stars to raise awareness about homelessness and the dire need for safe and stable accommodation.

Curtis Thompson, managing director of Kettering recruitment company Turner Lovell, braved the cold in just a sleeping bag for protection from the wind, He raised £1,000.

He said: “We support Accommodation Concern because, like a lot of people in Kettering, homelessness is a cause close to our hearts. My sleeping bag was blowing away. I looked at my phone at five in the morning and it said it was 2°C but would feel like -3°C – and it was right, it felt like -3°C.”

Money raised will be used to offer a ‘safe and stable environment’ for people in housing need, giving them the support they need to achieve independence.

Jo Moore, CEO of Accommodation Concern, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support shown at our fundraising event. The money raised will enable us to continue our mission of providing supported accommodation and vital advice to those in need.

“It is heartening to witness the community coming together to make a lasting impact on the lives of individuals facing homelessness. Together, we are creating a brighter future."

Joining the sponsored sleepover were Cllr Emily Fedorowycz, the Mayor of Kettering, and Cllr Leanne Buckingham, the Mayor of Corby.

Wicksteed Park’s head of operations Jordan St Germain, said: “Spending just one night in the cold was a real challenge and it really helped to bring home the challenges faced daily by far too many people in the area.

“Hopefully, as well as raising vital funds for Accommodation Concern and its amazing work, the event helped raise awareness of this increasingly urgent crisis.”

For more information or to support Accommodation Concern's ongoing efforts, please visit https://www.accommodationconcern.co.uk.