'Big Sleep Out' event at Peterborough football stadium raises thousands for city homeless charity

Many of those who took part in the Big Sleep Out event at Peterborough United slept on concrete floors amid temperatures close to zero.

A communal rough sleeping event staged at Peterborough’s Weston Homes Stadium has raised more than £26,000 for one of the city’s leading homeless charities.

Close to a hundred people took to their sleeping bags to bed down at Peterborough United on March 8 to raise funds for Light Project Peterborough (LPP).

LPP’s fundraising officer, Matt Edgley, told the Peterborough Telegraph how inspiring it was to see people come together in such a way:

Division, a lively guitar duo made up of local musicians Adam and Mark, helped to keep spirits up.

“Together, we can achieve so much and I’m proud to have been part of organising such an important event for the city,” he said.

“It’s been wonderful to see so many people coming together to gain an insight into what homelessness can feel like.”

Despite temperatures dipping as low as 5C (41F) during the wee small hours of Friday morning, participants – many of them sleeping fitfully on the stadium’s concrete concourse – managed to raise a whopping £26,819.

This total exceeds the £25,000 target the charity set up on their JustGiving page (which will stay open for donations until March 29).

“To not only reach the fundraising target but for the total to continue rising is amazing,” Matt added.

Jenna Lusk of the Peterborough United Foundation, which supported the event, said POSH was “blown away” by the amazing support local people gave to the Big Sleep Out.

“It's been incredible to see so many people brave the cold and rally together for a great cause,” she said.

Jenna was delighted with the “incredible sum” of money the event raised.

“This will make a huge impact in supporting those facing homelessness and supporting the work we do within the community,” she said.

Many of those who spent the night at the stadium felt moved by the sleepover:

“It's a very humbling experience,” said one, “I've just experienced a little of what they go through.”

Almost all of those who took part believed using a collective response to try and tackle the city’s social problems was a positive thing to do.

“It was great to see a community come together,” said another participant.Anyone who would like to make a contribution to the Big Sleep Out 2024 can do so by visiting their GoFundMe page.