Sleep out for the homeless

An Irish charity has asked the public to sleep out for one night to help raise funds and awareness for homelessness.

Focus Ireland’s Shine A Light Night is the charity’s flagship fundraising campaign and has so far raised over €5.3 million since it began in 2015.

On the night of 16 October, Focus Ireland wants business leaders and individuals to sign up and sleep out in their gardens, homes and workplaces to help raise crucial funds. The fundraising target for this year’s event is €1.3 million.

Head of Focus Ireland services for the Mid and South West region, Ger Spillane, said: “Focus Ireland works tirelessly with people in Cork experiencing homelessness to help them secure their home or to ensure they leave homelessness for good.

“We also work extensively across the area of prevention to make sure many other families and individuals never become homeless in the first place.”

Commenting at the launch of Shine a Light in Cobh, Nico O’Rourke, Director of Assets & Trading at Bord Gáis Energy, said: “We will be sleeping out on Shine A Light Night and we are asking every one of you across Ireland, businesses, families and individuals, to join us this October in giving just one night to sleep out.”

To register to participate in Shine A Light Night 2020, visit focusireland.ie/shinealight.