Last night I found out first-hand what it’s like to have nowhere to sleep.  I started with warm, dry clothes and a waterproof plastic bag, a sleeping bag and a roll-mat.  It rained all night and the condensation and lack of cover made sure that after just two hours I was cold, wet, uncomfortable and tired – it wasn't fun.  So it was like one would expect it to be right?  Well, yes it’s like anyone could describe it – but that doesn't really cover the full perspective it gives you.  You have some time to spend in someone else’s shoes and consider what reality may be like for them – mine is easy, I came back to a warm home with a nice bed this morning, others aren't so lucky.

Perhaps the best way to describe it is like this; last night as part of the event we watched some real life stories of homeless people that have been helped as a result of the funds raised by Byte Night.  This 2 minute video is of Jay’s story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCIedKQ_QS8

When I watched it last night I found it thought-provoking, when I watched it again today I actually found it really difficult – BUT it did convince me of the value of the event that was held last night.

Please, please take just two minutes to watch the video.  For all the people that have kindly donated, thank you so much – this video shows some of the positive work your generous contributions will achieve.  For anyone who hasn’t, please indulge me and just watch the video for two minutes – it helped me understand why so many people believed sleeping rough for a night was a very worthwhile cause.

Huge thanks to all of the Byte Night team for organising everything and to all of my fellow sleepers for their support.

Alex