An annual sleep-out event in aid of a young people’s homeless charity is taking place at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium.
The South Yorkshire youth charity, Roundabout, will be hosting its Night Owls sleepover at the ground on 22 March.
There will be an opportunity for people to join Sheffield Wednesday fans of all ages to spend a night in the stadium and help support the homeless youth charity Roundabout.
The Roundabout charity sleep out has been running for over a decade in previous locations such as Meadowhall and Burton Road.
However, for the first time it is being held at Hillsborough stadium starting at 8pm and continuing through the night until 7am the following morning.
Emily Bush, the charity’s fundraising manager, said: “The annual Roundabout Sleep Out has always been one of our most popular annual events and we have been asked so many times if there was a version the whole family could support.
“Now, thanks to the support of the team at Sheffield Wednesday we can introduce the Night Owls Sleep Over, an event we believe will prove very popular with families who support Roundabout and also with football fans looking for a new way to enjoy their favourite sporting venue.”
Roundabout is a local youth housing charity, established in 1977, which supports over 350 young people aged 16-25 everyday.
It provides shelter, support and life skills to help them gain independence in order to reach their aim of ending the cycle of homelessness in South Yorkshire.
The aim of the event is to get people to swap out their beds and centrally-heated homes for sleeping bags on the floor of the concourse of the stadium to in some ways replicate the nights of the young people that Roundabout supports.
Ms Bush said: “Of course, an event like this cannot truly replicate what it is like to be homeless, lonely and frightened – but it will offer a small insight into the realities that are faced and will help to make a real difference to the lives of young people.”
For more information about Roundabout and the Night Owl’s Sleepover or to sign up visit www.roundabouthomeless.org.
