Coventry Building Society volunteers sleep rough to raise money for Coventry Cyrenians - The Coventry Observer

Coventry Building Society volunteers sleep rough to raise money for Coventry Cyrenians

Coventry Editorial 17th Jun, 2017   0

A GROUP of volunteers braved 12 hours in the cold and rain to raise money for a homeless charity.

Staff from Coventry Building Society have raised more than £2,600 for Coventry Cyrenians, which offers support for homeless and vulnerably housed people in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The team of 16 swapped their warm beds for a ‘stone mattress’, leaving their phones and other luxuries at home, in a bid to experience what its like for the region’s most vulnerable people.

Chandon Duckett of Coventry Building Society organised the event and was a finalist at the Coventry and Warwickshire Heroes Awards in May in recognition of her dedication to raising money for the homeless charity.




She said: “The idea behind the ‘Sleep Out’ was of course to raise money for the Cyrenians, but also to raise awareness of what it’s like to be homeless.

“The Cyrenians advised us that the summer months would be a good time for the event, as this time of year sees higher levels of homelessness in Coventry and Warwickshire.”


She added the team have been working with the charity since 2015 and have raised over £23,300 through fundraising events and donations from corporate partners.

Jack Swinburn, fundraising and partnerships manager at Coventry Cyrenians, said: “It was great that myself and colleagues at Cyrenians were able to join the Coventry employees to experience what many out on the streets in Coventry and across the UK have to face sleeping rough.

“The Coventry’s intermediary department continue to be such a fantastic supporter of our cause, and the ‘Sleep Out’ was another event that has raised even more money.”

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