Up to 40 staff from Heidelberg Materials UK will join The Bridge Homelessness to Hope’s ‘The Big Sleep’ event on Tuesday 19th March 2024.
Around 40 staff from Heidelberg Materials UK, a leading supplier of heavy building materials to the UK construction industry, will participate in this year’s ‘The Big Sleep’, aiming to raise around £10,000 for the homeless community in Leicester.
Heidelberg Materials UK staff from across the UK will join other fundraisers at The Bridge Homelessness to Hope’s annual charity event where people are invited to sleep outside for one night to raise money for, and awareness of the challenges experienced by the city’s homeless community.
Heidelberg Materials UK staff will sleep out overnight at the main sites at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University in Leicester, as well as their own Chipping Sodbury Quarry site near Bristol, with some colleagues sleeping out in their own gardens.
Heidelberg Materials UK is also donating 200 sleeping bags, flasks, overnight bags and waterproof capes to The Big Sleep each year until 2026.
“Some of our staff, and people they know, have been affected by homelessness and sofa surfing during their lives so as well as raising vital funds for this deserving cause, we also want to help The Bridge with their work to overcome some of the stigmas surrounding homelessness. Support is out there and charities such as The Bridge are doing vital work to help this vulnerable community. We’re proud to have played a key role in supporting The Big Sleep and hope to develop this relationship further.
We are committed to supporting The Bridge Homelessness to Hope and are particularly invested in this year’s The Big Sleep. Although our staff are located around the UK, the campaign has the full support of the entire business – we know how important it is and we’re so proud of how our teams have engaged.”
Jops Dann, Social Value & FAIR Co Ordinator.
All of the money raised by Heidelberg Materials UK and other The Big Sleep fundraisers will support a range of services that The Bridge Homelessness to Hope delivers to homeless people in Leicester including breakfast and lunch services, access to hot showers, clothing and toiletries, washing and drying facilities, as well as the support of case workers and mentors.
Talking about the value that The Bridge Homelessness to Hope brings to the lives of its guests, one of their service users said:
“I have been coming to The Bridge for over three years and every time I visit, I am welcomed into a space where I feel safe and relaxed. I’m greeted by staff and volunteers who are kind and helpful. When I come down, I am able to wash and dry my clothes, which for a rough sleeper is a big help, and I am able to have a hot shower in the morning. The thing I like most about coming here is that I am respected as a person and treated kindly. Without The Bridge’s services, I would be lost.”
“The support from Heidelberg Materials UK has been amazing. They’ve really embraced the challenge of The Big Sleep and we look forward to working with them on other fundraising and educational campaigns in the near future.”
David Fawcett, Chief Executive at The Bridge Homelessness to Hope.
