The donations will allow 2,000 young people to claim their place at the event next month
Two of Scotland’s top philanthropists have dug deep and each donated £25,000 to fund places at Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park fundraiser.
The donations from John Watson, founder of the Watson Foundation, and Bruce Wishart, managing director of Empteezy, will allow 2,000 young people to claim their place at the event next month.
Participants aren’t able to buy tickets for Sleep in the Park, which will take place in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen on Saturday, 8 December.
Instead, they pay an initial £50 fundraising amount and commit to raising at least another £50 more.
Social Bite hopes the event will raise a total of £4 million to tackle homelessness throughout Scotland, with the funds invested into a programme to bring over 800 people out of homelessness in five cities.
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, said: “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of John and Bruce, who have been ardent supporters of Social Bite over the years, and would like to thank them for this kind donation. Edinburgh Council has also played its part by opening up the opportunity to Edinburgh high schools which is fantastic.
“We want 12,000 people across Scotland to sleep out with us in December, and it’s great that we’re able to extend the invite allowing so many young people to take part. They are the future voices and leaders of our country, so having their support is immensely important.
“The generosity of these donors, and those already signed up, means that we have already raised over £1m, and are another step closer to making a huge difference to homelessness in Scotland.”
John Watson said: “The Watson Foundation is delighted to be involved in this outstanding initiative once again. The scourge of homelessness must be tackled as a priority for Scots everywhere. The Watson Foundation will continue to do everything it can to eradicate homelessness and give people a proper home and fresh start in life.”
And Bruce Wishart added: “This is a great opportunity to involve young people in tackling homelessness which continues to be widespread across the country. Sleep in the Park will give pupils a first-hand experience on the freezing conditions thousands of people are subject to every winter, and involve them in a major movement to eradicate homelessness for good.”
The 2,000 donated places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To claim a space, applicants should email [email protected] with their name, age, place of study and contact details. Teachers and staff from high schools and universities are also encouraged to take an allocation of places for their students.
Members of the public can join Sleep in the Park by paying an initial £50 sign-up fee and committing to fundraising at least £100. Businesses can sponsor the event by signing up a team of five with a minimum fundraising commitment of £3,000.
