Launchpad (our local homelessness charity) didn't want COVID-19 and social distancing to put a stop to their much-loved annual event, the Big Sleep Out. Sleeping out can be fun, when you can go inside for a hot meal and bath after a few days.  Not so fun in the rain and snow with nowhere else to go. 

Which is why this year we have decided to brave the outdoors on World Homeless Day, Saturday 10 October, and raise vital funds for Launchpad - at home! We are  swapping our comfortable beds for a sleeping bag in the garden (or a den in the lounge) for the night to get a brief insight into some of the things we may experience if we were sleeping rough - such as cold temperatures, an uncomfortable bed and limited sleep. And with every pound we raise for Launchpad, we are helping to ensure that people at risk of homelessness in Reading don't have to face those conditions night after night.