A team from the Bath office of law firm Stone King has raised nearly £900 in aid of city homeless charity Julian House after being sponsored to sleep rough for a night.
Their nocturnal efforts were part of Julian House’s Big Bath Sleep-Out on in Alice Park last Friday when more than 300 people bedded down in the park and braved the cold weather to raise much-needed funds for the charity.
As well as a homeless shelter, Julian House runs more than 40 projects and services offering support, including a range of social enterprises providing workplace experience and training and activities to improve health, wellbeing and employability.
Stone King social media & events coordinator Danielle Saint said: “It gave us a tiny insight into what sleeping rough was like.
“The most important thing was to raise funds for Julian House, and we are pleased to have been able to help in this way.”
Since it started 10 years ago, Julian House’s Big Bath Sleep-Out has raised thousands of pounds for the charity and has involved hundreds of people aged from four to 80.
Organiser Cathy Adcock said “We are so pleased that so many people were willing to forego their normal creature comforts and warm homes for the night. Obviously sleeping out for one night doesn’t come close to the realities of homelessness.
“It does, however, give people the chance to empathise with those who are forced to sleep rough every night and those that took part certainly did just that. It was very heart-warming to see so many children who had been encouraged by their families to take part with them.”
Stone King also has offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London.
Pictured: The Stone King Big Bath Sleep-Out team, from left, Suzanne Russell, Marie Underhill, Shelley Pattenden and Danielle Saint
