Building society raise over £7,000 for Newbury Soup Kitchen with sleep out event
On 18 October, Newbury Building Society employees traded their beds for a night sleeping outside in the wind and rain, raising over £7,000 for Newbury Soup Kitchen in the process. The volunteers were joined by participants from Newbury Soup Kitchen and Lifecycle Software, a fellow supporter of the soup kitchen.
Newbury Soup Kitchen (registered charity number: 1179298) support vulnerable people throughout West Berkshire, providing hot food, as well access to optometry, podiatry, community nurse, haircuts, vaccinations, referrals to additional support services, and toiletries.
Meryl Praill, CEO of Newbury Soup Kitchen, attended the sleep out to give a talk on the charity’s work and the challenges they face, as well as make sure everyone got some hot food and drink before the big night. She commented: “The relationship between Newbury Building Society and Newbury Soup Kitchen has been a lot of fun. We have immensely enjoyed getting to know the team and being involved in the fundraising events that they have done for our charity.
The sleepout tops it all. We are in awe of the commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm shown by everybody who slept outside in that horrendous weather. I cannot believe that one person slept under a tarpaulin all night without the cover of a tent. Newbury Soup Kitchen supported by providing hot dogs, pot noodles, and hot drinks to get everybody ready for the night ahead.
More people are at risk of death from the wet than the cold. Friday night highlighted how difficult it is to be outside in weather like that. A fun night was had by all; however, underneath is the serious subject of homelessness. We are incredibly grateful for the funds raised by Newbury Building Society, which will make a big difference to the service and support we can provide individuals in this community experiencing homelessness and or who are vulnerably housed.”
Emma Gentry, Head of Marketing and Communications at the Society, organised the event. She praised the support of those who had donated: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support – we cannot thank everyone enough for their encouragement and donations. The money raised will significantly benefit vulnerable people through the support services Newbury Soup Kitchen, our charity partner, work tirelessly to provide.
“A huge thank you to Meryl and her team for their support, and Falkland Cricket Club for the use of their training ground for the night – which provided us with a safe place to sleep – something which is not possible for so many in our community.
This experience has opened our eyes to just some of the many difficulties people in our local community face night after night – we hope the funds and awareness raised will continue to help Newbury Soup Kitchen in their mission.”
