BYTE NIGHT WALES LAUNCHES 2018 SLEEP OUT – WELSH BUSINESSES CHALLENGED TO SLEEP OUT FOR ACTION FOR CHILDREN

• Iconic Principality Stadium confirmed for October 5th sleep out

• UK Byte Night Chair Graham Davis joins Tramshed launch

• More than £1.3 million raised in UK by over 1,500 sleepers in 2017 who spent a night under the stars to help prevent youth homelessness

After helping to raise over £1.3 million UK-wide in 2017, Byte Night Wales is back and held a special launch and quiz night event on Tuesday 1st May at the Tramshed in Cardiff. Companies big and small from across Wales took part in a great quiz night and found out how they can get involved in Byte Night and raise money to ensure disadvantaged young people get the support they need and have a safe place to live.

The UK’s largest sponsored sleep out returns to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday October 5th with Welsh professionals working in business and IT-related sectors being set the challenge of spending a night exposed to the elements to raise funds for Action for Children projects that help prevent youth homelessness.

Barclays, KPMG, BT, Acorn, Capgemini, Capital Networks, SPTS and Admiral are just some of the businesses who have already signed up teams to brave an October night under the stairs for Byte Night Wales.

Jeremy Thomas, KPMG director and co-chair of the Byte Night Wales board, helped host the event. He said: “Last year was a fantastic event to be part of and we were thrilled to smash the first year’s total of £35k by raising well over £50k. We’re aiming even higher this year with a UK target of £1.6m so we’re totally committed to making this year’s Byte Night Wales a huge success.

“We’re so passionate about raising much more money and awareness of the issues our young people face and it was great to hear from the inspirational young people Action for Children has supported. It’s great we’re back at the peerless Principality Stadium for the third year and we are looking forward to another unique professional networking opportunity as well as a chance to support some of the young people in our society who need it the most – one night really can make a lifetime’s difference.”

The gathering heard from guest speakers about the networking, team-building and philanthropic gains from joining this £1 million annual fundraising event, as well as young people supported by Action for Children’s Caerphilly FIT Wellbeing service.

Byte Night’s UK chair Graham Davis, Sales Director for Royal Mail attended the launch, outlining why businesses should get involved. He said: ‘My message to businesses thinking of getting involved is don’t think about – get involved! There are many children out there who are homeless through no fault of their own and they need help and we’re in a position to help them. So just contribute, just put a team into Byte Night, it all helps, every £500, every £200 all helps. It helps us reach our target and more people this year and next.’

Brigitte Gater, Action for Children’s National Director, Wales, added: “I’m really looking forward to Byte Night’s third year in Wales and building on last year’s’ excellent total. This issues that young people face that can lead to them ending up on the streets are more prevalent than ever and that’s driving us to do even better this year.

“Our teams do amazing work with young people who have faced many challenges in their lives that most of us couldn’t imagine. Their heart-breaking stories will drive us on to make our sleep out a roaring success as the UK’s largest sponsored sleep out celebrates its 21st birthday.”

Over £11 million has been raised UK-wide since the event started 21 years ago and Wales is included with 11 other locations for 2018: East Anglia, Scotland East, London, Midlands, Northern Ireland, North East, North West, Scotland West, South West, Thames Valley and Yorkshire. It is Action for Children’s flagship fundraising event, and now one of the top 20 fundraising events in the UK.

If you would like to find out more about Byte Night, please visit www.bytenight.org.uk or contact the Byte Night team on bytenight@actionforchildren.org.uk

About Byte Night
• Action for Children believes that every child should have a safe and loving place to call home
• Byte Night is the UK’s biggest sleep-out, supporting Action for Children’s work to ensure all children have a safe and loving home
• Byte Night is the UK’s biggest sponsored sleep-out event, raising more than £9m in support of vulnerable children and young people since it launched in 1998