More than 150 people from Manchester’s IT and digital industries have already pledged to sleep out under the stars to raise money for charity.
The annual overnight event – called Byte Night – takes place across the UK and raises money for Action for Children, which helps vulnerable and homeless young people. The target for the North West is 200 people, with a fundraising target of £100,000 so Byte Night is calling on local businesses to step up and support the event.
Teams from companies all over Greater Manchester and the North West are planning a variety of fundraising activities, as well as the sleep-out itself, to help raise money for the charity.
The sleep-out takes place in a field adjacent to the Brother Campus in Audenshaw on Friday 4th October.
Nikki Scrivener, director of Fourth Day PR and Byte Night board member, said: “I took part in the London event and just knew it was something we could replicate in Manchester. There’s a strong heritage of IT and digital companies in the North West with an amazing sense of community, and I knew they’d support this initiative.
“It’s essential not just to raise money for Action for Children, but also to raise awareness of homelessness, particularly around young people. It might not be pleasant sleeping outdoors in October but that’s nothing compared to the people who do not have any choice and have to do that night after night.”
Byte Night was first launched in 1998 when 30 people from the IT industry slept out and raised £35,000 for Action for Children. Since that night, the event has grown to over 1000 people participating each year, raising over £950,000 in 2012 alone across the UK. As well as Manchester, there are events taking place in London, Cambridge, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Thames Valley.
From the night it began, 16 years ago, to its fifteenth anniversary in 2012, Byte Night has raised a phenomenal £5.2 million.
Byte Night improves and supports the lives of young, homeless people all across the UK. It helps Action for Children tackle the root causes of homelessness, keeping vulnerable young people off the streets and enabling them to build better lives with access to education and training opportunities.
Businesses taking part in Manchester’s Byte Night so far are: Fourth Day PR, PushOn, IBM, Civica, Moneysupermarket.com, Brother, PZ Cussons, Bench, Progressive Recruitment, Venn Digital, Code Computerlove, The Key Group, Kellogg’s, UNitycomm, Avecto, Trader Media Group, Civica, Doug Walters & Associates, La Fosse, Blue Fin Solutions, S3, Thoughtworks, Deloitte and Lancashire Cricket Club.
You can find out more about Byte Night by contacting
[email protected]
