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They may be used to the fluffy towels, Egyptian cotton sheets and room service provided in luxury hotels... but chief execs and other corporate leaders are being asked to swap all that for a night on a concrete floor in town.
Sanctuary Trust will stage its 2023 Sleep Out on 17 November and wants corporate top brass to lead from the front in bedding down in their sleeping bags of Pier Road car park in St Helier.
Last year's event was a record-breaker, and saw more than 90 people take on the challenge, raising around £50,000 to support Jersey's homeless population. Figures released on World Homeless Day yesterday revealed that hundreds of local residents – including young people and full-time workers – are currently residing in emergency accommodation.
Tim Ringsdore, Chair of Sanctuary Trust, which is Bailiwick Express and Connect Magazine's partner charity this year, said he hoped his peers would step up to the challenge, and was looking for at least 20 corporate organisations to take part.
Pictured: Housing Minister David Warr was among those to join the Sleep Out last year. (James Jeune)
“We’re asking the so-called 'C-Suites' [those with the word 'chief in their job titles] to experience a very different type of suite– sleeping on a cold, exposed car park floor on a bleak November night," he said.
Mr Ringsdore is himself three-quarters of the way through his own rough-sleeping challenge, in which he will spend a night outside a different parish hall each month.
"From my own experiences, sleeping out is testing, uncomfortable and really makes you re-evaluate and appreciate what you have in your life – it’s said you’re only a couple of paycheques away from potentially being homeless and we know local businessmen have sought Sanctuary Trust’s support in the past."
Listen: Mr Ringsdore spoke about his experience sleeping rough on a previous episode of The Interview by Bailiwick Podcasts.
Sarah Tumelty, Sanctuary Trust’s General Manager, added: “We know that businesses love a spot of corporate competitiveness by taking part in a charity challenge and it doesn’t get much tougher than this.
"We’re hoping colleagues will volunteer their chairs and chief executives to join us for the night and sponsor their efforts.
"The Sleep Out is about recognising, not replicating, what it’s like not to have a roof over your head – by taking part, we hope people will get a better understanding of homelessness and, in the process, help raise funds to support our work.”
Those interested in the event, or wanting more details, should contact fundraiser@sanctuary.org.je.
You can also donate to #Tims12ParishSleepOut HERE.
Read Sanctuary's column in the latest edition of Connect Magazine below...
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