Sleep out beats fundraising goals
Students and staff across the University took part in Sleep in the Park on Saturday 8 December.
Surpassing last year’s total, the team collectively raised over £57k, with donations being used to support the eradication of homelessness in Scotland.
Social Bite’s sleep out event brought together over 10,000 people at events in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.
Preventing homelessness
The money donated towards this year’s event will go towards Social Bite’s projects to prevent homelessness, create employment opportunities, create support programmes and help fund the Social Bite Village – a project that saw the University sponsor one of the houses built there in 2017.
My thanks to all of those who got involved in Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park this year, either by taking part or sponsoring those that did. It is an amazing contribution for one organisation to make, both financially but also in actively raising awareness of the issues facing homeless people in our communities.
Sleep out
Artists Amy MacDonald and KT Tunstall gave performances at all four events. Hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay, the Edinburgh event at Princes Street Gardens was also headlined by Lulu, with writer Irvine Welsh giving a bedtime story.
Social enterprise
Social Bite was co-founded by Edinburgh alumnus Josh Littlejohn.
The Sleep in the Park events are the last to be organised by Social Bite, as the social enterprise looks to launch new fundraising initiatives next year.