Last night (29 October 2018) Brickendon’s CEO Chris Burke took part in the CEO Sleepout. Giving up his bed and sleeping outdoors in a bid to combat homelessness in the capital.
Supporting the homelessness and poverty charity, CEO Sleepout, Chris slept out at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, along with other CEOs, business and community leaders, raising money for the charity and building awareness of the growing issue.
Homelessness in the UK has reached an all-time high – over 236,000 people were homeless in 2016 and this is expected to more than double to over half a million by 2041.[1] In the same time period, it has been calculated that the number of people sleeping rough will quadruple from 9,100 in 2016 to 40,100, with London recording the highest number of rough sleepers.[2] Boosting the profile of the growing issue, CEO Sleepout asks participants to lead by example and sleep side-by-side with their peers and raise vital funds for homeless people. Since its inception in 2010, the charity has raised nearly £2 million for homeless causes. Speaking of his involvement, Burke says, ‘’One night out in the elements is a small price to pay for the safe, warm, comfortable bed I have every night when so many do not…It is staggering to see that homelessness is still such a big issue in a developed country like the UK. With everything going on around us, it is easy to forget that many people don’t have a home to go to and are in need of help to find a bed for the night. At Brickendon, transforming the local community is embedded at the core of our business, and we actively encourage our employees to give back and tackle social issues‘’
If you’d like to donate to this excellent cause please visit Chris’ just giving page –
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-burke15
To find out more about the CEO Sleepout visit – ceosleepoutuk.com
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/10/uk-homeless-expected-double-2041-charity-crisis-warns, 10 August 2017
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/25/number-of-rough-sleepers-in-england-rises-for-sixth-successive-year, 25 January 2017