Our country has been through many crisis over the last several years. Whether it is COVID-19, the cost of living or high inflation, this has been a difficult period for the nation. However a separate crisis has continued throughout that time, and even before; the rough sleeping crisis.

In England alone, over 309,000* people were homeless in December 2023, with many on the street. A number of these people have nothing but a blanket to keep them warm as the temperatures drop below zero degrees this winter.

Last year we passed a major milestone, marking the point where we had distributed over 1000 sleeping bags. But this year we are back.

Rough sleeping is still on the rise. The numbers of people sleeping rough have increased two years in a row**, and as the nights begin to draw in once again, we are back to help everyone #sleepwarm this winter.

How do we do this? Two ways.

Firstly, we provide rough sleepers with a sleeping bag, making sure they will SURVIVE the cold nights. Then, we work to put them in touch with shelters and outreach groups, ensuring they can LIVE.

Across November, December and January, we will begin handing out sleeping bags across the country, from London to Newcastle, Nottingham to Bristol, across Birmingham, Lincoln, Leicester and Derby, and all the way up to Edinburgh.

Then, when Christmas fundraising is over, the decoration lights are off and the jingle bells are silent, the big job begins; the fifth Big Handout.

In January 2026 our entire Charity will be out, across nine cities on one night, distributing sleeping bags to all who need them. On last year’s Big Handout we distributed over 240 sleeping bags on just that night, and this year we want to push that even higher.

In addition we are launching a campaign to connect rough sleepers with outreach teams, ensuring they can be moved off the street into fixed accommodation.

Following the Big Handout we will continue handing out sleeping bags nationwide as we work to ensure everyone can #sleepwarm.

We will support rough sleepers wherever we can, but we cannot do it without your support. Please help us raise funds to ensure everyone will #sleepwarm this winter, and that everyone will #livewarm going forward.

*https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2023/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2023#:~:text=england%2Dautumn%2D2023-,1.,risen%20by%2027%25%20since%202022.