Newcastle to participate in World’s Big Sleepout

Newcastle City Council has announced that the city will stand alongside New York, New Delhi, Barcelona and other major cities around the world this winter in a global bid to fight homelessness.

Taking part in the World’s Big Sleepout on 7 December, the aim is to raise vital funds for the city’s Street Zero initiative, launched late last year in a bid to end rough sleeping on the streets of Newcastle.

It has been reported that Newcastle has prevented nearly 5,000 cases of homelessness in 2017/18 alone.

Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “We’re proud that Newcastle is a city that has already made great strides in tackling homelessness, but our work will not be done until it has been eradicated. That is why we have pledged to become a homelessness-free city and end rough sleeping through the Street Zero partnership. This alliance of four sectors – public, business, charity and community organisations – aims to deliver a city-wide initiative to prevent rough sleeping.

“We want to see an end to homelessness at home and across the world, and Newcastle’s Big Sleepout will be a fantastic way for people to show how much this matters as well as raising money to help people at risk of homelessness in our city right now.”

The World’s Big Sleepout will see approximately 60 official sleepouts and roughly 1,000 more smaller events organised for people to take part. The global aim is to raise $50,000,000 to help homeless people locally and throughout the world, benefitting roughly one million people.