Unless you work in the industry it can be difficult to make servers, databases and business intelligence appealing or exciting, but once a year something pretty miraculous happens, the IT industry as a whole puts aside its differences, discards the tech talk and gets together under the Byte Night banner to fight against youth homelessness in the UK.

Everyone in the industry from journalists and tech workers through to managing directors and C-level executives at some of the biggest names in IT spend a night sleeping out in locations across the UK, braving the winter weather to help raise money for Action for Children.

Now in its eleventh year, it has grown from an event that saw 30 individuals sleeping out in London and raise around £35,000 to over 500 sleepers raising nearly £470,000 last year.

Despite the credit crunch squeezing the pockets of people and businesses alike, the Byte Night team are hoping to recruit over 700 sleepers this year and raise a record £500,000.

I've set myself the rather ambitious target of £1,000 but I've a few months, so with your help I'm sure I can make it.

Once again Ill be there freezing my but off alongside all the other supporters - and this year I'll be taking the video camera down with us, which should provide some amusing entertainment come four in the morning.