Bosses of financial services company WAY group spent last Saturday night sleeping under shelters made out of cardboard boxes in an effort to raise awareness of the problems of homelessness and funds to support those in need.
WAY Group CEO Ian Hobday, Head of Marketing Dan Hart and Trust Manager Kevin Barker joined staff from 22 other Dorset-based businesses as part of YMCA Bournemouth’s ‘BIG Sleep Easy’ event. The event is organised as a community effort to help combat local homelessness, and so far has raised more than £22,000. The vital funds raised support the work of the charity in combatting local homelessness, and efforts to enable homeless individuals to return to independent accommodation and a positive long-term future.
Ian Hobday, CEO of the WAY Group, comments:
“Saturday night was cold, uncomfortable and tiring. We were lucky it didn’t rain, but condensation through the night meant that by morning everything was wet and our shelter had collapsed. For us it was just for one night, but we were very aware that too many people in this country are facing this harsh reality every night – perhaps coming from the world of lost jobs, family breakdown, repossessed property, health problems, even veterans who have fought to keep us free.
“Everyone deserves a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep. Yet we do nothing; we wrap up warm in the cold weather and turn up the heating while people sleep in doorways and under bridges. By experiencing what it feels like to have that taken away we wanted to help raise awareness of the important work YMCA is doing, as well as vital funds needed to really make a difference to people’s lives. For one night we did something, and I hope even if it is just for one moment, people can think of others and donate anything they can do help.”
The WAY Group team have so far raised over £1,400 and further donations can be made at https://mydonate.bt.com/teams/waygroup