Byte Night sleep-out to prevent UK youth homelessness
Most people simply don’t know just how many young people in the UK face the desperation of homelessness.
(PRWEB UK) 6 October 2016
Almost all adults in Britain, 90 per cent, are in the dark about the extent of youth homelessness in the UK, according to new research commissioned by charity Action for Children. 80,000 young people find themselves homeless in the UK each year, and the research results mark Action for Children’s annual sleep-out, Byte Night, on Friday 7 October. The survey of more than 2,000 people, undertaken by YouGov on behalf of the charity, ran between 30 September and 2 October 2016 and aimed to gauge awareness of and attitudes towards youth homelessness across Britain. 90 per cent of respondents either underestimated or said they didn’t know the extent of youth homelessness. Only two per cent thought (correctly) that the number of homeless young people was around 80,000. Eight per cent of the population surveyed thought the figure was higher.
Alastair Brown of Lombard Risk, Byte Night Board Member and corporate sponsor, said: “Most people simply don’t know just how many young people in the UK face the desperation of homelessness. This huge number of young people who find themselves in such a terrible situation is not driven by economic conditions. Youth homelessness exists because of the complexities of human relationships; that’s unlikely to change. What can change is the help received by young people, their families, communities and carers at the point of need.”
Byte Night aims to put the issues of youth homelessness front of mind and encourages businesses to sleep out to raise awareness of the surprisingly large numbers of young people without a home every night. Byte Night is the UK’s biggest sponsored sleep-out, involving celebrities and businesses, and supports Action for Children’s work to ensure all children have a safe and loving home. The event has raised more than £8 million since it was launched in 1998.
To donate, Text Byte16 with the amount to donate (£1, £5, £10 etc) to 70070.
Media call and photo opportunity at Byte Night on Friday 7 Oct from 18.00, at Norton Rose Fulbright, 3 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AQ, UK with Anthea Turner and other celebrities and businesses at the sleep-out
Contact: Jon Gardner at BeyondPR +44 (0)114 275 6996 / +44 (0)7930 697 773