Could you brave a night out beneath the stars in aid of an incredible cause? That’s what Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (OHM) is asking business owners, CEOs, Directors, and Partners across Oxfordshire to do to help raise vital funds for services that support people experiencing homelessness.
The annual CEO Sleepout event is taking place on 10 October and this time organisers of the event are hoping to make it bigger and better by raising a total of £100,000. They need your help and so are calling on local business owners, academics and senior leaders to sign up for the event. Participants are encouraged to fundraise or donate a minimum of £1,000 to help support those in need.
Donations to OHM through the CEO Sleepout help fund a variety of projects, supporting the people of Oxfordshire who are experiencing homelessness. Monies raised are put towards existing projects such as the NRPF (no recourse to public funds) Project; Lived Experience Advisory Forum (LEAF), as well as further funding for its 'Making houses into homes' project. OHM also hopes to put funds towards solutions for Oxfordshire’s vulnerable women and develop its Women-only Services.
Yvonne Pinner, Project Director at Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, says: “Last year, 47 of Oxford’s big-hearted business leaders helped us raise a whopping £76,500 and this time we want to make it bigger and better and achieve our goal total of £100,000.
You can sign up as an individual, double up with another colleague or even participate as a team to make an even bigger impact. All you need is a big heart, a sleeping bag, and to be willing to fundraise or donate £1,000.
While CEO Sleepout is no comparison at all to the experience of homeless people, we hope that business professionals will get a tiny glimpse into the discomfort they experience on a daily basis. Then it’s over to them – while we put the money to good use with our partner organisations in Oxfordshire, we’d love for participants to continue to spread awareness about the cause and how the everyday person can help.”
CEO Sleepout Oxford will take place at University Parks. For those interested in registering for the event or contributing donations visit the link: ceosleepout.co.uk/oxford/ and choose Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (OHM) as your chosen charity.
OHM is a partnership of the many organisations helping those who are homeless in Oxfordshire, with the goal to ensure that "nobody should have to sleep rough on our streets." If you think of these organisations as a community, then think of OHM as the Community Centre.
The Movement aims to bring greater visibility to all of the county’s work in this area, signposting volunteers, supporters and those experiencing homelessness to the actions and services they’re looking for.
OHM’s team includes those with lived experience of homelessness. Being guided by people who have personally experienced homelessness through the Lived Experience Advisory Forum means the work of the organisation remains relevant and needed. The charity is resourced with a small team of volunteers, one staff member and a steering committee and together, they make a big impact.
