Over £7,000 raised for Newbury Soup Kitchen at Newbury Building Society sleep out
Newbury Building Society employees traded their beds for sleeping bags and raised more than £7,000 for Newbury Soup Kitchen as part of a charity sleep out event.
On Friday, October 18, the volunteers from NBS were joined by participants from Newbury Soup Kitchen and Lifecycle Software (a fellow supporter of the soup kitchen) as they spent the night sleeping outside in the cold, wind and rain.
Newbury Soup Kitchen CEO Meryl Praill attended the event to give a talk on the charity’s work and the challenges it faces, as well as make sure everyone got some hot food and drink before the night.
She said: “The relationship between Newbury Building Society and Newbury Soup Kitchen has been a lot of fun.
“We have immensely enjoyed getting to know the team and being involved in the fundraising events that they have done for our charity.
“The sleep out tops it all.
“We are in awe of the commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm shown by everybody who slept outside in that horrendous weather.”
One building society employee, head of treasury Jamie Troughton, spent the entire night sleeping under a tarp without the shelter of a tent.
The soup kitchen supported the event by providing hot dogs, pot noodles and hot drinks to those taking part.
Mrs Praill continued: “More people are at risk of death from the wet than the cold.
“Friday night highlighted how difficult it is to be outside in weather like that.
“A fun night was had by all. However, underneath is the serious subject of homelessness.
“We are incredibly grateful for the funds raised by Newbury Building Society, which will make a big difference to the service and support we can provide individuals in this community experiencing homelessness and or who are vulnerably housed.”
Newbury Building Society’s head of marketing and communications Emma Gentry organised the sleep out and praised the support of those who had donated to the £7,000 total.
She said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support. We cannot thank everyone enough for their encouragement and donations.
“The money raised will significantly benefit vulnerable people through the support services Newbury Soup Kitchen, our charity partner, work tirelessly to provide.
“A huge thank you to Meryl and her team for their support, and Falkland Cricket Club for the use of their training ground for the night – which provided us with a safe place to sleep – something which is not possible for so many in our community.
“This experience has opened our eyes to just some of the many difficulties people in our local community face night after night.
“We hope the funds and awareness raised will continue to help Newbury Soup Kitchen in their mission.”
