Participating in a charity sleep-out to raise funding for YMCA in the Sleep Easy event

We are delighted to be supporting the YMCA Sleep Easy event, which is being held at the Derbyshire County Cricket Club on Friday 04 March 2016.

The YMCA Sleep Easy event is a fundraising initiative challenging members of the public to sleep rough so others don’t have to. The event, which takes part across the UK, sees members of the public sleep outside in a cardboard box for the evening, in sub-zero temperatures. During 2014 and 2015, the event raised a staggering £79,000 for the YMCA charity.

Many of the people that go to the YMCA are suffering from homelessness, relationship breakdowns, neglect, mental health, learning difficulties, substance abuse and exploitation.

Four of our employees have signed up to take part. For one in particular, the charity is very close to their heart. Jo Robinson left home at the age of 15, moving into the YMCA on London Road aged just 16. She comments on the importance of the work the YMCA undertakes in Derby:

“The staff at the YMCA really supported me during a very difficult time in my life. They motivated me to go back to college to re-sit my GCSEs and turn my life around.  I am now an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive, working in one of the region’s largest law firms, happily-married with two children and two step-children. I am looking forward to Friday’s sleep out as it’s a great opportunity to give something back to the YMCA and to share my story.”

Andrew Cochrane comments on the charity event

“I’m very proud that four colleagues have taken up the challenge of sleeping outside to raise money for local charity YMCA Derbyshire and wish them all the very best.”