Blog The Story of Sleep Out: 12 years running, £1.8 million raised To mark our 25-year anniversary as a charity and celebrate all of the incredible supporters who have slept out to end homelessness since 2013, we’re looking back at the history of our biggest fundraising event. This year will be our 13th annual Sleep Out at Glass Door Homeless Charity! In this blog, you’ll find photos, live streams, personal accounts and stories from our sleepers, and you’ll also be able to learn how Sleep Out has evolved over the years when faced with challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic. We have so many inspiring stories from the years that have passed, and all of these stories come together to spotlight the value of community action. Without everyone coming together as a collective at Sleep Out, year after year, we wouldn’t have been able to help build routes out of homelessness for so many people. In the 12 years since Sleep Out was born, we’ve raised over £1.8 MILLION by sleeping out, which has allowed us to support thousands of guests into safe and stable housing across London. That’s an incredible achievement, and we’ll continue as long as the need remains. Want to be a part of our Sleep Out story? Join us at Sleep Out 2025 on Friday 3rd October at Duke of York Square (or remotely)! Sign up today and help us continue to change lives at a time where your support is needed more than ever. Register now! I want people to know homelessness is not a choice. Homelessness is not the person’s fault. There are many contributory factors as to why someone is homeless. Just because they’re homeless doesn’t mean they don’t need help...listening and understanding is the most important thing. - Hannah Stanislaus, Sleep Out participant for the last 5 years 2013 – Our very first Sleep Out! On the first Friday of October in 2013, the tradition of Sleep Out started at Duke of York Square in Chelsea. The weather was warm but wet; a drizzle at 2 am was held off by umbrellas kindly donated by Knight Frank. Partridges provided sandwiches, tea and coffee the next morning. The Cadogan Estate provided space, security, and portable loos. 173 individuals—including two pregnant women, eight local clergy, five former guests and numerous volunteers—spent the night sleeping on the pavement to raise funds and awareness for our work. Keith Spadafora, a volunteer sleeper, recounted an interaction he had with a man who had previously experienced homelessness during the night: While I was concerned he might find our campaign patronising, he conveyed his sincerest appreciation. He told me that this organisation was fundamental in getting him off the streets and providing shelter when he needed it. Watch our film from Sleep Out 2015 Fast-forward two years, and Sleep Out is still successfully running, and growing every year. Take a look at our official Sleep Out 2015 below to see what the event looked like 10 years ago. One night out in the cold awoke me to the fact that I take so much of our blessings in life for granted, whereas I should be thankful for them, each and every day. - George Jerjian, Sleep Out 2016 2017 – Five years of Sleep Out Five years in and Sleep Out is bigger than ever. BBC Radio London were calling for live updates throughout the night. In the morning, radio DJ, Jim Davis, caught up with 17-year-old participant Sunita. "I think everyone should be doing this. It opens your eyes.... you feel a whole new wave of sympathy," Sunita said. Jodi, a 2017 participant, wrote us an account of her remote Sleep Out hosted by St Luke’s Church in Chelsea: “Once settled, quiet and staring at the night sky I thought, with the icy air on my face, imagine if this was real, imagine if I was all alone, imagine if my sleeping bag and shoes were stolen or I was approached by a violent group of people and attacked with no one nearby to help.” 2019 – Sleep Out thrives remotely in Chelsea’s wider community The community really came together this year, with several local groups putting on their own remote Sleep Out events and raising money for Glass Door Homeless Charity. Read about Chelsea Football Club’s night outside at Chelsea Stadium and see the Royal Fire Brigade of Kensington & Chelsea sleeping out in the photo below. I like supporting this charity. It's local and it feels like the money goes directly to people in need. I feel comfortable asking people to help because I believe in this charity. - Nadia Mishchanka, Sleep Out 2019 2020 – Virtual Sleep Out featuring Colin Firth and other famous faces When Covid-19 struck, our usual Sleep Out arrangements were not possible, but this didn’t stop the event from running. Instead, the event went fully virtual, with a programme to keep everyone connected, broadcast live from Duke of York Square. With wind and rain lashing down all night, participants slept in dispersed locations across London and beyond. Some spent the night on their floor, bathtub or balcony. Others were in doorways or church vestries. The live-streamed programme included Colin Firth reciting a poem about homelessness, actor Jim Carter reading a bedtime story, messages from Comedian Tiff Stevenson and Dame Helen Mirren, and a song about compassion sung by the choir of St Luke’s Church, Chelsea. Interviews with a range of special guests including former Chelsea FC player Paul Canoville, Glass Door staff, former guests and Sleep Out participants featured throughout the night. When I was young, my mum’s partner told me to get out. It was a case of walking the street and not telling anybody. I had to sleep in a car. I will never forget those times. - Paul Canoville, Chelsea Football Club player Watch our 2020 live-stream highlights below! Or watch the full live-stream here, where you can find Colin Firth’s reading of the poem ‘Homeless Man’ by C.J. Heck at the 59-minute mark. 2021 – Sleep Out comes back to Duke of York Square post-pandemic After a very different Sleep Out in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions, Sleep Out returned to Duke of York Square in 2021. It took on a more subdued tone than in previous years, with about 27% of the 216 registered participants choosing to take part remotely. It made a lot of sense to have less people on the Square this year. We realised it doesn’t matter where you take part, the important thing is that people felt they had a choice, and the fundraising was still very strong. - Ellie, Previous Glass Door Fundraising Manager 2024 – Last year’s Sleep Out This brings us up to last year, our 12th annual Sleep Out. We were joined by long-time and first-time sleepers, corporate teams, Chelsea Pensioners, church groups, families, and of course, our Glass Door team of expert frontline caseworkers and office staff. We first started hosting Q&As with our frontline workers in 2023 so that sleepers got the chance to hear about our work first-hand and really see the impact of their support. It was a great success, so we did it again in 2024 and will again this year. We all came together with the same goal that motivates us to keep coming back year after year; to help Londoners off the streets, to offer a lifeline to those most in need, to keep our vital services afloat, and to continue building routes out of homelessness. It's nice to be able to do this with people I work and go to church with. It's a bit of a community bonding activity, and an issue we all take very seriously, so it's nice to be able to collectively do something like this together. - Tim, Sleep Out 2024 2025 – We need you! Sadly, homelessness is on the rise in London, and the cost-of-living continues to intensify, putting more people at risk of homelessness. In our twenty-five years of frontline work, we have never seen things this bad. It should shake us all to our core and move us to action. We need your help to make sure we’re not here for another 25 years. "I did enjoy the Sleep Out as a way of fundraising as there was a great sense of purpose in what we were doing, knowing we were making a difference to some people's lives. It was great fun doing the Sleep Out with friends as we can discuss how the night went & sympathise with each other!" - Rosie, who’s been sleeping out for over 12 years! Be a part of our Sleep Out story and help us end homelessness for good in London. Sign up today! Manage Cookie Preferences
