Mortgage Sleep Out events will take place at different locations across the UK aimed at raising funds and awareness for End Youth Homelessness, a network of local charities focused on tackling youth homelessness.
The idea for the event came after Brightstar CEO Rob Jupp and Maria Harris, Atom Bank director of retail mortgages, discussed the problem of homelessness on Twitter and suggested a fund raising event.
Rob Jupp said: “At the beginning of August, I tweeted that the number of rough sleepers in London was a national outrage. Just a month later and the level of support we have already seen from the industry is truly humbling.
“At Brightstar, we are supporting Mortgage Sleep Out because we believe that, with a little effort from individuals, we can collectively make a big difference. It’s early days, but I think that we are on course to create something that has a really positive influence on people’s lives.”
Maria Harris said that tackling homelessness in the North-East is a cause that’s very close to Atom’s heart.
She added: “Having done the CEO sleepout in Newcastle three years in a row, our exec team know that just spending that one night in sub-zero temperatures with a whole night to contemplate how people do this every day, brings home exactly how fortunate we are to have a safe home to go back to every evening. Giving up our beds for one night is a small price to pay to make a big difference.”
Chief operating officer at Dynamo Mortgages, Jenny Watts, said the mortgage industry is all about helping people get a roof over their head so the Mortgage Sleep Out is a great way to raise awareness and do something tangible for those people.
“It’s a great initiative and the lovely people at Dynamo are really looking forward to being involved,” she adds.
Number of people sleeping rough in Bournemouth has grown by 300% since 2010
James Tucker, managing director at Twenty7Tec, said the number of people sleeping rough in Bournemouth, our home town, has grown by 300% since 2010.
He added: “As a team we want to help draw attention to what is a growing and increasingly serious problem not just in our area, but across the country.”
Coreco director Andrew Montlake said: “We are supporting the Mortgage Sleep Out because this is a fantastic opportunity to come together as an industry to show that we recognise and care about the issue of homelessness in the UK today. We work hard to look after our clients hopes and dreams and it is important to remember those who are not so fortunate.
“Hats off to Rob and Maria for developing this idea and all those who will be giving up their time to make a stand. We need to continue fighting to focus attention on this issue and to make sure no one has to spend a night on the streets”.
If you would like to be part of the industry movement to eradicate homelessness, you can register here and receive your guide on how to arrange a Sleep Out. Alternatively, click here if you would just like to make a donation to Mortgage Sleep Out.
