A night out with a difference

The Railway Children Sleepout 2022: one night of hardship for a lifetime of change.

Tonight over 300 people will be swapping their warm beds at home for the cold floor of Glasgow Central, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Derby, Birmingham New Street, London Liverpool Street, London Waterloo and London Victoria. The #BigStationSleepout will help us raise awareness on a huge scale, as well as vital funds to support the hundreds of children who face hardship every day around the world.

The Sleepout made a huge impact in 2020 with over 300 people sleeping at nine stations and raising over £160,000, and last year’s alternative version, The Sleep In, was another huge success. So if you’re passing through one of the stations listed above, feel free to stop and chat to the participants, make a donation or sponsor one of those taking part.

This event won’t replicate the situations faced by the children we work with, but it will raise awareness of the issues and difficulties they face.

Railway Children’s CEO Terina Keene said: “We know from our work with British Transport Police that around 10,000 vulnerable young people are identified on the rail network every year. They might be running away from home, involved in county lines drugs gangs, being groomed to go and meet a stranger or even coming to the station with thoughts of suicide. With the help of our supporters and the whole rail community we can make sure we’re there to help them when they need it most.

“This event is a great way to raise money for our projects that reach these children, but also to share our work and our message with the many thousands of people who pass through our transport system every day.

Together we can make a vital difference to the lives of so many children.

Keeping children safe from violence, abuse and exploitation for 25 years

The organisation works with vulnerable children and families across the UK as well as around the streets and stations of East Africa and India where many thousands are forced to survive in terrible conditions. Without anyone to care for and protect them they face violence, abuse and exploitation every day and Railway Children’s outreach workers race to reach them before a predator does and before they are lost to a life of fear and trauma. Events such as the Sleepout are just one of the ways the charity raises the vital funds they need to keep these children safe and make sure they have a better, brighter future.

Railway Children is delighted to have the backing of Network Rail and support of headline sponsors VolkerRail once again for the Sleepout and their generosity will mean even more of the money raised by participants can go directly to the charity’s work with children.

To find out more click the link below or contact our events manager Katie Mason on 01270 757 596 or k.mason@railwaychildren.org.uk