Staff from Weston General Hospital’s IT department swapped their laptops for sleeping bags as they took part in the country’s biggest sleep-out.
A team of five from the IT department at the hospital, which is run by Weston Area Health NHS Trust, joined more than a hundred other people sleeping rough in Bristol’s Millennium Square.
The sleep-out, titled ‘Byte Night’, was held to raise money for charity Action for Children to support its work with vulnerable children, young people and families.
Simultaneous events took place in cities across the UK.
Hazel McPherson, IT Service Manager at the Trust said: “We were excited to take part to raise awareness of youth homelessness.
“Sleeping rough on Millennium Square made it a night to remember – we bedded down with our sleeping bags in the cold and damp, and none of us were able to get much sleep.
“You feel vulnerable and really get a sense of what it’s like to be homeless. We just experienced it for one evening – what we did was nothing compared to real homelessness.
“Trying to sleep rough in the cold is also a reminder of how hard it can be for people; no-one should have to experience that.
“So far we’ve managed to raise more than £400 for Action for Children, which we’re really proud about. However, we’re aiming to raise £2000 – we have until the end of year to do that and we’re hopeful of meeting our target to support as many people as possible.”
If you would like to donate to the team’s cause and support Action for Children's youth homelessness programme please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/weston-area-nhs-health-trust-it-department.