On Friday 18 November, nine members of staff and some of their families completed the tenth anniversary of the Sleep Out For Roundabout.
Sleep Out is an annual event organised by Roundabout, a youth homeless charity in South Yorkshire. The event is held annually, with 2022 being the tenth year everyone has come together to sleep out and raise funds and awareness about youth homelessness. This sleepout is in recognition, not replication, of homelessness and gives just a small insight into the challenges many vulnerable young people at risk of homelessness face every day.
At 8 o’clock, nine members of the Sheffield office and a few family members joined 60 other like-minded fundraisers at the Meadowhall Shopping Centre car park. We were greeted by Roundabout event organiser Emily Bush, whose warm and friendly welcome immediately got us looking forward to the evening. Upon arrival, we were fortunate to be served hot drinks, food and even live music by Alastair Gordon, a Sheffield blues and folk musician.
After arranging our sleeping bags and settling in for the night, we heard from young people who had been helped by the charity and wanted to share their stories. Listening to what they’ve been through and how Roundabout has helped them was an emotional reminder to all of us about the importance of Roundabout and the crucial work they do to support over 350 young people every day.
Along with providing accommodation to young people in South Yorkshire, Roundabout’s services include developing independent living skills and assisting them with their health, education, employment and training.
The relationship between Fletchers Waste Management and Roundabout dates back many years and includes Bangers and Cash, a Ride London 100-mile cycle, and a group abseil down the Sheffield Hallam University Building.
Taking part in the sleep out and hearing from young people supported by the charity opened the eyes of all attendees and reinforced the importance of the life-changing services the charity does locally. We can’t wait to hear how much the evening raised for the charity, which was already over £18,000.00 on the 18th!
If you'd like to donate, you still can via: https://www.justgiving.com/team/fletcherssleepout
