Sponsored Sleep Out at the Lane

[William Henry Foulkes]

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-sleepout-2252717.aspx

Players and staff of Sheffield United are encouraging supporters to take part in the first ever sponsored sleepout at Bramall Lane.


The Blades are partnering with local charities Roundabout and St Wilfrid's Centre to host the event which will see participants experience sleeping rough for one night to raise vital funds for both local charities.


'Sleepout United' will take place on Friday 10th April and goalkeeper Mark Howard has encouraged staff, sponsors and supporters to register online to take part in the event.


He said: "This is another exciting first for Bramall Lane and we are pleased that we can support two of our partner charities by doing the sleepout. Becoming homeless can happen to anyone. I have been involved with St Wilfrid's on a number of occasions and have seen the difference they make and I know Roundabout does some great work with younger people as well. I am sure that this will be a great success and anyone wishing to take part will need to register early."


Organisers of the event, Amy Casbolt, fundraising co-ordinator at Roundabout, and Deb Leonard, development manager at St Wilfrid's Centre, said: "This is a unique opportunity for both charities to work collaboratively with Sheffield United and although 'Sleepout United' is just for one night, we hope that those taking part will gain an appreciation of what it's like to be homeless."


Roundabout provides assistance to more than 150 homeless young people in Sheffield aged 16-25 every day. The charity provides shelter, support and life skills, and offers advice and family mediation for those at risk of losing their home.


St Wilfrid's Centre, located on Queens Road, support homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded adults in Sheffield, providing essential welfare services including food and clothing, together with personal development activities to develop life, social and employability skills.


Participants will be encouraged to bring cardboard and sleeping bags to spend the night with in Bramall Lane. The event will see presentations from both charities and special guests and entertainment will follow until lights out at 11pm where participants will sleep in designated areas around the pitch and concourse before the event finishes at 7am the following morning.


Dave McCarthy, operations director at United, said: "We are proud to be partnering with two local charities to host this unique event. It is hoped the sleepout at Bramall Lane will raise awareness of the ever increasing problem of homelessness and raise the profile for these two very deserving charities."


As an additional incentive, anyone who registers to take part in the sleepout before the 28th February will be entitled to a free ticket for United's League One fixture v Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 28th March.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Now this seems like a very good idea. I suppose I ought to "sleep on it" before putting my name down, but I guess that's the point... not very one has a warm bed as comfortable as mine.

 

[Gavlar]

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-sleepout-2252717.aspx

Players and staff of Sheffield United are encouraging supporters to take part in the first ever sponsored sleepout at Bramall Lane.


The Blades are partnering with local charities Roundabout and St Wilfrid's Centre to host the event which will see participants experience sleeping rough for one night to raise vital funds for both local charities.


'Sleepout United' will take place on Friday 10th April and goalkeeper Mark Howard has encouraged staff, sponsors and supporters to register online to take part in the event.


He said: "This is another exciting first for Bramall Lane and we are pleased that we can support two of our partner charities by doing the sleepout. Becoming homeless can happen to anyone. I have been involved with St Wilfrid's on a number of occasions and have seen the difference they make and I know Roundabout does some great work with younger people as well. I am sure that this will be a great success and anyone wishing to take part will need to register early."


Organisers of the event, Amy Casbolt, fundraising co-ordinator at Roundabout, and Deb Leonard, development manager at St Wilfrid's Centre, said: "This is a unique opportunity for both charities to work collaboratively with Sheffield United and although 'Sleepout United' is just for one night, we hope that those taking part will gain an appreciation of what it's like to be homeless."


Roundabout provides assistance to more than 150 homeless young people in Sheffield aged 16-25 every day. The charity provides shelter, support and life skills, and offers advice and family mediation for those at risk of losing their home.


St Wilfrid's Centre, located on Queens Road, support homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded adults in Sheffield, providing essential welfare services including food and clothing, together with personal development activities to develop life, social and employability skills.


Participants will be encouraged to bring cardboard and sleeping bags to spend the night with in Bramall Lane. The event will see presentations from both charities and special guests and entertainment will follow until lights out at 11pm where participants will sleep in designated areas around the pitch and concourse before the event finishes at 7am the following morning.


Dave McCarthy, operations director at United, said: "We are proud to be partnering with two local charities to host this unique event. It is hoped the sleepout at Bramall Lane will raise awareness of the ever increasing problem of homelessness and raise the profile for these two very deserving charities."


As an additional incentive, anyone who registers to take part in the sleepout before the 28th February will be entitled to a free ticket for United's League One fixture v Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 28th March.

Ive just heard about this myself, great idea.

 

[Blade56]

Jeez I've done it many times queuing for tickets and no one paid me

 

[judge]

They could show people videos of the Preston match in case they are struggling

 

[Blade82]

fallen asleep a few times at the lane during the 1st half this season

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

They could show people videos of the Preston match in case they are struggling

If it's cold there will be a right old queue to spoon with the beard.

 

[Linz]

I've put my name down to do it... I doubt many genuinely homeless have the benefit of a 4 season sleeping bag and advanced noticed to invest in a bivvy bag though.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I've put my name down to do it... I doubt many genuinely homeless have the benefit of a 4 season sleeping bag and advanced noticed to invest in a bivvy bag though.

I would offer my services to make it a more authentic experience. Confiscate all the flash polar expedition gear and hand out the cardboard, old blankets and assorted bits of polythene. Then again I'd move it to January, rather than a balmy spring night. Add in a few coppers to wake you every couple of hours and tell you to move on, sprinkle in a few with some serious mental health issues to make you feel even less safe and then to cap it all off, a few loutish lads on the way home after a night of boozing to throw half-eaten kebabs at you, or worse urinate on you whilst you're sleeping and then the whole event has a bit of reality attached to it!

 

[itsinyerblood]

I would offer my services to make it a more authentic experience. Confiscate all the flash polar expedition gear and hand out the cardboard, old blankets and assorted bits of polythene. Then again I'd move it to January, rather than a balmy spring night. Add in a few coppers to wake you every couple of hours and tell you to move on, sprinkle in a few with some serious mental health issues to make you feel even less safe and then to cap it all off, a few loutish lads on the way home after a night of boozing to throw half-eaten kebabs at you, or worse urinate on you whilst you're sleeping and then the whole event has a bit of reality attached to it!

And that is about the sum total of what homelessness can mean for some....."There but for the grace of god go I"

 

[Linz]

I would offer my services to make it a more authentic experience. Confiscate all the flash polar expedition gear and hand out the cardboard, old blankets and assorted bits of polythene. Then again I'd move it to January, rather than a balmy spring night. Add in a few coppers to wake you every couple of hours and tell you to move on, sprinkle in a few with some serious mental health issues to make you feel even less safe and then to cap it all off, a few loutish lads on the way home after a night of boozing to throw half-eaten kebabs at you, or worse urinate on you whilst you're sleeping and then the whole event has a bit of reality attached to it!

The Students' Union used to (perhaps still does?) do the Big Sleep Out. They'd sleep under the concourse bridge on Western Bank (something security would come down hard on any rough sleeper attempting to do) and order pizzas.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

The Students' Union used to (perhaps still does?) do the Big Sleep Out. They'd sleep under the concourse bridge on Western Bank (something security would come down hard on any rough sleeper attempting to do) and order pizzas.

Before they all went off to their 100 quid a week luxury flat (where the worlds best brewery used to be) vote Tory and charge up their iPads.

Students are patronising umbilically connected wankers and the fact I have an alley way next to my house that is en route between the kebab shop and halls of residence has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

I would offer my services to make it a more authentic experience. Confiscate all the flash polar expedition gear and hand out the cardboard, old blankets and assorted bits of polythene. Then again I'd move it to January, rather than a balmy spring night. Add in a few coppers to wake you every couple of hours and tell you to move on, sprinkle in a few with some serious mental health issues to make you feel even less safe and then to cap it all off, a few loutish lads on the way home after a night of boozing to throw half-eaten kebabs at you, or worse urinate on you whilst you're sleeping and then the whole event has a bit of reality attached to it!

Would like to ensure that any such louts got seven colours kicked out of them to cap off their fucking night out.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

And that is about the sum total of what homelessness can mean for some....."There but for the grace of god go I"

I used to commute to work in Birmingham with a bloke who would have a right go every time I gave some money to the rough sleepers there. He would complain that "they only spend it on drugs or drink". And quite frankly, if I had to sleep in the remnants of the Bull Ring, in freezing temperatures, then i would probably fancy some drugs or booze. There can't be many people who with or with out bad decisions, bad luck, and/or mental health issues would choose to live in such circumstances. It's easy to get on with our lives and not notice those people struggling along on the peripheries. I just registered.

 

[itsinyerblood]

I used to commute to work in Birmingham with a bloke who would have a right go every time I gave some money to the rough sleepers there. He would complain that "they only spend it on drugs or drink". And quite frankly, if I had to sleep in the remnants of the Bull Ring, in freezing temperatures, then i would probably fancy some drugs or booze. There can't be many people who with or with out bad decisions, bad luck, and/or mental health issues would choose to live in such circumstances. It's easy to get on with our lives and not notice those people struggling along on the peripheries. I just registered.

I think it's like any other type of social blight, occasional stories of monetary misuse become the 'norm'. I used to manage a nightclub in Sheffield, and coming home at 4am-ish I'd see figures in doorways, huddled up in a sleeping bag if they were lucky, but otherwise cardboard would be their only protection from the elements. Esteem, hygiene, and health issues are typical, as are mental health problems. These are the outcasts that society would prefer to forget. The problems surrounding homelessness should tell all of us that once on that slippery slope it could be any one of us who might be faced with similar issues.

Don't allow stories of those who abuse 'the system' to colour your thinking. There are many homeless individuals whose present and future are distressingly bleak, where the only thing they have to look forward to is whether they can survive another day. That's a reality that many of us on this forum will never, I'm glad to say, be confronted with.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I used to commute to work in Birmingham with a bloke who would have a right go every time I gave some money to the rough sleepers there. He would complain that "they only spend it on drugs or drink". And quite frankly, if I had to sleep in the remnants of the Bull Ring, in freezing temperatures, then i would probably fancy some drugs or booze. There can't be many people who with or with out bad decisions, bad luck, and/or mental health issues would choose to live in such circumstances. It's easy to get on with our lives and not notice those people struggling along on the peripheries. I just registered.

If I had a back story like some of those people, I think I might want to try and blot it out with drink, drugs or anything else that worked.

 

[blade too long]

Why arent they doing it this week ?

 

[bornablade]

I am definitely interested in taking part. Firstly as It's in yer blood says 'There for the grace of God....' and secondly to spend a night under the stars at BDTBL is being like a kid at Christmas

I think they should have a re-enactment of Christmas 1914. Invite the Wendies to participate. Let them have the Lane end and we'll have the Kop. At about 2.00am switch on the floodlights, a ball is produced and both sides meet up for a match.

Then of course back to hostilities!

 

[Blade56]

What's missing (and I mean this in a positive sense) is a new age work house. Not to exploite theses poor individuals but somewhere where they can go, get clean clothes, somewhere warm and safe to sleep and then a program where they can start the process of doing something productive to get their self esteme back.

Charities do a great job (eg Salvation Army) with the first bit, I used to volunteer over Christmas at one of their "soup kitchens". We opened at 9, gave them a cooked breakfast, had a clothing room, as much tea as they could drink, board games/cards etc and a sandwich to take when we closed.

The problem is they are just turned back out on the streets until the next centre opened. If they could stay and do something productive even help with the chores (never enough volunteers) it would build their confidence to move back into society. Sitting in the underpass on match days with a tin and dog begging for money until the next centre opens vs meaningful activity is a no contest.

 

[jimbojones]

What a fantastic way to help a charity out, Homelessness really can hit any one, I'm a long time reader of the board but first time poster. I thought something like this needed sharing, if not to get people involved then to have pride in our club for having such a fantastic idea (may of been the charity's idea) But either way.. Good stuff.

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-sleepout-2252717.aspx

 

[itsinyerblood]

I'm considering participating in the above event.

As one or two of you will know, I have a severe mobility issue which prohibits me taking part in many activities. Although I really shouldn't consider this, heart rules head on this occasion, and the cause, to highlight the issues surrounding homelessness, is one that's close to my heart. Details can be found at Sheffield United's site, and should anyone be willing to sponsor me for this event - that's the whole point of why I'm considering taking part - I'd be deeply appreciative.

Just to ensure that there would be transparency, I would add each sponsor to this thread, so name and amount promised. No matter how little or how much you feel you can afford, I'm sure the charities involved (Roundabout and St. Wilfrid's Centre) would be deeply, deeply appreciative of your contributions.

I would ask anyone who not only supports the Blades, but those who have ever felt the slightest twinge at the thought of someone having to sleep outside when the weather is bitter and life-threatening, to consider contributing to this appeal.

Like most of us who post here regularly, we've all had disagreements at some point or other. I would hope that for the purposes of this appeal you'll put any animosity to one side and see a far bigger picture, that of those poor souls who have very little to look forward to, other than the kindness of those who feel it's worth making a contribution to such a worthy and good cause.

Finally, if you're interested in sponsoring me, please let me know as I have to commit to this sooner rather than at the last minute. It seems there are 500 places that are dedicated for this appeal, and at the moment there seem to be quite a few places left. So please give something, it's the gesture that matters. For once I'm not expecting you to consider a worthy cause abroad, but to help those who live in Sheffield and need help just to survive.

In case you don't know me, I'm Alf, so please contact me via a PM to let me know if you wish to contribute and how much you can afford.

Thank you fellow Blades.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Great words. I have already put my name down for this, and will hammering family, friends and work colleagues for sponsorship. Looking forward to meeting you on the evening.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Great words. I have already put my name down for this, and will hammering family, friends and work colleagues for sponsorship. Looking forward to meeting you on the evening.

Excellent news!

A lot depends on the state of my legs, but as I'm a stubborn so and so I doubt this will prevent me from taking part......so, to repeat to anyone who happens to read this, your sponsorship is needed, so please PM me on here and we can begin to contribute towards this charity. If you have any doubts, imagine what it'll be like for those who have to sleep rough in doorways about 2am this morning.....this should be a no-brainer, so please give something, and I'll make sure that your names and contributions are included on this thread, and of course passed onto the relevant charities,

Thanks

 

[Blade56]

I love camping out but at this time of year I don't think I wouls survive the night!

 

[itsinyerblood]

I'm glad to say that I've had my first promise of sponsorship, Blade56 is kindly giving £5, so that's a great way to begin this appeal.

Anyone who gets in touch via PM I'll let you know how you can pay etc.

 

[silverfox]

I registered as soon as it was announced. Not done anything about any sponsors but if anyone is willing to donate to any of us who have registered it would be great!

 

[Hartley Hare]

Good on yer Alf for volunteering for this worthwhile cause. I will send a PM with a donation for your efforts.

I would like to be able to join you, but worry that I will keep everyone up with my terrible snoring.

Good luck.

HH

 

[itsinyerblood]

stringjunior has sponsored this event to the tune of £10, so well done fellow Blade. So that's £15 committed to sponsorship so far, excellent news of course, but I want you all to give something. I've no problem with being a benign pain in the bum if it helps those who have to face each night of their lives sleeping rough

If you are reading this and suffer from shyness, there's no need, this event is more than worthwhile so please contact me via PM and let me know how much you can sponsor this event for, thanks.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Things are speeding up.....Hartley Hare is sponsoring £20! Well done HH, and always good to hear from you.

stringjunior has offered to add to his already promised £10 and dared me to wear Blades' pants all night long for another £10! Dare accepted, and brilliant of you to add to your sponsorship string.......if anyone has a clean pair of Blades pants I can wear on my head for the night then your help is appreciated, otherwise string won't pay up, and we can't have that, can we?

So that's £45 sponsorship already promised, how good is that? But don't just be a reader, make a contribution to this charity and add to their coffers!

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Things are speeding up.....Hartley Hare is sponsoring £20! Well done HH, and always good to hear from you.

stringjunior has offered to add to his already promised £10 and dared me to wear Blades' pants all night long for another £10! Dare accepted, and brilliant of you to add to your sponsorship string.......if anyone has a clean pair of Blades pants I can wear on my head for the night then your help is appreciated, otherwise string won't pay up, and we can't have that, can we?

So that's £45 sponsorship already promised, how good is that? But don't just be a reader, make a contribution to this charity and add to their coffers!

Brilliant stuff, come on Fellow Blades. I believe the "Just Giving" website being activated for participants soon, so no obstacle to supporting these local charities...