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In November 2016 YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough hosted its first ever Sleep Easy event held at Peterborough Cathedral. The event saw 31 hardy members of the local community spend the night sleeping rough under the stars on one of the coldest nights of the year to support youth homelessness in the city. The event raised £6,500 which has gone towards support services at YMCA Time Stop in Peterborough.

Thanks to the generous donations, the charity has recently purchased over 30 starter and welcome packs for residents who arrive at their accommodation, often with nothing but a plastic bag with some clothes.

Glenn Simmons, Head of Housing at YMCA commented: “The packs include the basics we all need when moving into a new home such as a duvet, pillows, kettle, toaster, cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, mugs, pots, pans and a microwave. These packs are vital to our residents and help them rebuild their lives.”

Thanks to the amazing effort of those who slept under the stars, these packs are now being distributed to residents at Time Stop when they move on to independent living.

“Our residents will now be able to look to the future without worrying about how to pay for some of life’s basic essentials – instead able to concentrate on building a home and a better future,” Glenn concluded.

YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s latest Sleep Easy event took place in Cambridge at St Catherine’s College Sports Ground and has so far raised nearly £11,000 towards accommodation support services at Queen Anne House in Cambridge.

Our next Sleep Easy event will take place in September 2017 at a city centre location in Peterborough.

If you are interested in taking part in a Sleep Easy event or making a donation to YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough please contact fundraising@theymca.org.uk or Call: 01733 373188.

YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough is one of 133 local YMCAs in England and Wales that, together, support more than 200,000 young people every year.