Sleeping out for Byte Night Scotland

One of many fundraising events organised across Britain tonight to help a children’s charity will take place outside in the open air tonight.

Over 150 IT and business experts from across Scotland have volunteered will bed down in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh tonight  to raise awareness of youth homelessness.

Armed with just sleeping bags and a sense of adventure, volunteers will brave the weather for Byte Night Scotland, the IT industry’s annual sleep-out in support of leading children’s charity Action for Children.

Byte Night Scotland is currently in its sixth year, with over 550 sleepers taking part since the fundraising challenge launched in 2008. The event has raised more than £300,000 in Scotland since it launched.

Simultaneous events will take place in Belfast, Cambridge, London, the Midlands, Manchester and Thames Valley, with over 1,500 IT experts sleeping out across the UK to raise vital funds for youth homelessness.

The Scotland event will be hosted by comedian, Fred MacAulay.

Grant MacFarlane, fundraising manager at Action for Children Scotland, said:- “The support and enthusiasm for Byte Night has been incredible and we’re very grateful to everybody taking part. There is a genuine appetite among participants to transform the lives of the young people we work with. The night itself looks to be a huge success, and like all our sleepers, I am just hoping the rain stays off!”

With the events expected to raise a landmark £1million in one night, participants are rest assured they are making a huge difference to the lives of the 100,000 homeless young people in the UK.

If sleeping out is not for you, you can still help Action for Children to prevent youth homelessness by making a donation to support the charity’s work. Just text the word ‘BYTE13’ to 70070 to donate £5 to the leading charity.

More information on the charity’s website.