An incredible £30,000 has been raised from the United for Cambridge Sleepout which saw over 80 people spend the night outside in the Abbey Stadium...
U's fans and teams from local companies slept under the D&A Main Stand on Friday 11th February to raise awareness of and fundraise for local homelessness charity, Wintercomfort, alongside the Community Trust’s work with our city’s most vulnerable residents.
Thank you to the teams from Biocair, Cambridge United’s Media Team, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Carbon Funding Consultants Cambridge, Co-op, Costello Medical, D&A (sleeping under their sponsored stand!), Deloitte, Front Foot Creative, Hill Group, Kameo Recruitment, PA Consulting, Purple & Green, Safety Rocks & University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education.
Before heading out to the stands, the sleepers got to meet their fellow participants by enjoying a quiz and warm meal in the toasty confines of the Signature Suite. Strategies of where to sleep were discussed and varied. Some opted for the top of the Main Stand, some U’s fans chose to sleep next to their season ticket seat and others questionably close to the warmth of the Press Box!
The night itself was a bitterly cold one, dropping down to just under four degrees centigrade and certainly wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep. Everyone gathered again in the morning for breakfast, but as the participants went off to warm beds and showers, all recognised that the experience pales in comparison to what rough sleepers go through every single night.
Since 1991, Wintercomfort has supported men and women who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. Open every day of the year, the charity provides daily welfare support for rough sleepers with hot meals, showers, laundry services, clothing and healthcare.
Through a comprehensive range of counselling, therapy, training and specialist housing advice, Wintercomfort aim to help people find employment, rebuild their lives and move towards a more positive future. Last year, Wintercomfort supported around 500 individuals although sadly, the current economic climate and rising living costs are currently resulting in a sharp increase in demand for services.
Melody Brooker, Fundraising and Communications Manager at Wintercomfort explained, "The past two years under the shadow of the pandemic have been a great challenge to the charity. The funds raised via this sleepout event will be an incredible boost to our welfare budget supporting those at greatest need in our community. We are so grateful to all those who participated and supported and of course, to our friends and partners Cambridge United Community Trust.”