Every Youth Big Sleep Out

On Saturday, March 8, 2025, Warminster School hosted its inaugural Big Sleep Out in support of EveryYouth, a coalition of the UK's leading youth homelessness charities. The initiative aimed to raise awareness and funds for the estimated 129,000 young people facing homelessness across the country.

The event challenged a group of pupils to forgo their beds for one night and sleep outdoors on the school grounds. Fortunately, the weather was clear and fine, with the stars out, creating a peaceful yet reflective atmosphere. This experience was designed to foster empathy and understanding of the hardships faced by homeless young people while also encouraging students to reflect on the comforts they often take for granted.

Aims

While the Big Sleep Out did not aim to replicate homelessness, it offered students a glimpse into the challenges faced by many young people every year—a lack of somewhere safe to rest their heads. This initiative aligns with EveryYouth's broader efforts, such as their annual Sleep Out events, which have successfully raised significant funds to support young people facing homelessness.

Background

The idea for the Big Sleep Out came from Niamh, a sixth form pupil, who is passionate about making a difference. She explains:

"I was keen on raising both awareness and funds for such an important charity aiding an issue so prominent for teenagers nowadays. We wanted to create both a fun but reflective experience for pupils here at Warminster. The money raised from our sleepout will go towards helping people our age who find themselves in less fortunate situations."

Impact

We raised just over £3,000.

Pupil Involvement

Years 7 - 13.