Do you know that around 80,000 young people experience homelessness every year in the UK?

Neither did we! That is why, as part of the Martin Wheatley Graduate Team Challenge, Project Nightingale are taking part in Centrepoint's Sleepout  to help support these young people in need. On November 7, when we would normally be wrapped up inside – a team from Project Nightingale will be sleeping out on East India Quay to raise money for this great cause.

Centrepoint support over 1,000 young people in London and the North East every year through housing, health, learning and support in moving on from homelessness. They also partner with organisations across the UK and influence policy to help support many more young people in need.

The Martin Wheatley challenge gave an enthusiastic team of 12 FCA graduates 6 months to make a positive impact on our local area. At Project Nightingale, we decided to help combat homelessness through raising awareness, fundraising, and a hands-on project.With so many people in our age group in London suffering from housing problems, we felt that it was the perfect theme for our challenge - and somewhere where we can help to make a real impact!

We aim to raise £1000 for Centrepoint for the Sleepout - so please give generously to help these young people in need! Any donations, big or small, will be warmly appreciated, and will help us to support this fantastic charity.

Here are some thoughts from our team members, and their reasons for supporting the cause and taking part in the Centrepoint Sleepout.

 

Kristian 

“Homeless is a social problem that I am very aware of. Living in London you do not need to walk very far to witness the extent of this problem and the impact it has on those living without somewhere they can call ‘home’. I do however understand very little on what it must actually be like to sleep on the streets and the knock-on effects this has on all aspects of a person’s life. By taking part in the Centrepoint Sleepout I therefore hope to gain an insight into what it is like to live on the streets and better understand the causes behind homelessness, the barriers to finding a home and the potential solutions to this problem. I will then be able better placed to help address the root causes behind homelessness and develop sustainable solutions. I am also looking forward to the challenge of raising money towards a very worthwhile charity which can make a real difference to those most in need!” 

 

Tim 

“I’ve always been concerned by the plight of the homeless, and although I can be sympathetic, I don’t know what it must actually be like to spend a cold night on London’s streets with absolutely nowhere safe to go. I’m taking part in the Centrepoint Sleepout at West India Quay on 7 November 2013 to try and get the smallest insight into how horrible it must be. As we progress Project Nightingale to support the homeless over these six coldest months of the year, I hope I will be more empathetic with the homeless and have a better insight into their fears, needs, and hopes for the future.” 

 

Chris

“I’ve sometimes felt that the homeless are almost the forgotten people of London. Many of us, including myself have walked past a homeless person and have barely even noticed them. I believe it’s time for me to act, to change my own attitude towards the homeless and hopefully raise awareness of the terrible plight they experience every day. I hope I can go part way to doing this by putting myself in their shoes to experience only a snapshot of what these people have to go through every night.” 

 

Victoria 

“As I find out more about the FCA and how we work as an organisation, I have learnt how important it is to understand the causes and key drivers behind consumer behaviour and actions, and how through this understanding you can help to implement real, positive, change. At Project Nightingale, we wanted to take this approach into our work for the Martin Wheatley challenge, and really try to understand the issues facing the people we are trying to help. By taking part in the Centrepoint Sleepout, I hope that I will not only be able to raise funds for a great cause, but also learn a huge amount personally about what it means to be homeless in London, allowing me to be more empathetic to those who suffer in this way, and eventually helping me to promote good outcomes for the homeless through the work of Project Nightingale.”