The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and Pret A Manger’s charity, The Pret Foundation will join forces with Lady Mayoress Florence King this March for the third annual Lady Mayoress’s Sleep Out. Taking place at Guildhall Yard overnight on Thursday March 6, the charity fundraising event asks participants from the City and beyond to ditch their warm beds for the night to help raise awareness of the issue of homelessness. To find out more, read our interview with Lady Mayoress Florence King.
What inspired you to host the Lady Mayoress’s Sleep Out, and why is this cause so personally important to you? Are you going to take part?
A. The Lady Mayoress’s Sleep Out was actually launched by former Lady Mayoress, Amanda Keaveny in 2022 who wanted to offer a glimpse into the reality of sleeping rough, while raising awareness of homelessness in the City. As homelessness continues to be a growing issue in the City and a cause very close to mine and The Lord Mayor’s heart, it seemed vital that I host another sleep out this year and, of course, take part myself.
Could you share more about the goals of this event and how you hope it will impact the City’s awareness of homelessness?
A. Sleeping rough is only a small part of the realities of being homelessness – but it’s the most visible to the public and easiest to replicate to centre a fundraising event around. Homewards and The Pret Foundation are working tirelessly to find lasting solutions to the growing number of people without a permanent home in the UK. The sleep out will directly support these two brilliant charities, with 50% of net proceeds going to The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s charity partner Homewards; and 50% donated to The Pret Foundation.
This is the third annual Sleep Out event. What changes or progress have you noticed since it was first launched in 2022?
A. The numbers of people experiencing homelessness has continued to rise since we first launched. According to Homewards, it is estimated that over 300,000 people in the UK – nearly half of whom are children – are sofa surfing, sleeping on the streets, staying in hostels, living in their cars or other forms of temporary accommodation.
Homelessness is a growing issue, with many individuals and families struggling to find stable housing. What immediate actions do you think should be prioritized to tackle this problem?
A. We all need to do what we can to support organisations that know what they’re doing and think that other people are going to solve this issue for us. You might not personally be part of the ecosystem that will solve this problem, but by taking part inThe Lady Mayoress’s Sleep Out which will raise funds for Homewards and The Pret Foundation you know you will be helping to end homelessness in the UK. Homewards is an initiative working across six locations in the UK to highlight the different kinds of homelessness in the UK and the different solutions needed to fix these problems.. Since the charity launched in 2023 as part of The Royal Foundation, it has formed locally led coalitions of committed people, organisations and businesses to find solutions to homelessness specific to those cities.
How do you see partnerships with organisations like The Pret Foundation and Homewards helping to create long-term solutions for homelessness?
A. By supporting organisations like Homewards and The Pret Foundation, we are helping them to create long term solutions through community led programmes. For example, central to The Pret Foundation’s work to help break the cycle of homelessness is its Rising Stars programme, which has provided employment opportunities alongside training and financial support for over 800 ‘stars’ since it launched.
What has been the response from the City’s community and businesses regarding this event, and have you seen increased participation over the years?
A. The City community is brilliant at getting behind a good cause and are particularly supportive of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Individuals from the City and across London have already signed up, but if you haven’t already then don’t miss out on this chance to support such a fantastic cause.
Can you talk about the specific ways the funds raised from the Sleep Out will directly support the work of Homewards and The Pret Foundation?
A. Money raised from the sleep out will support The Pret Foundation in their aim to help tackle hunger, poverty and homelessness in communities local to Pret shops around the world. One such way, is the charity offering financial support to grassroots charities. For Homewards, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s funds will help support their Lambeth flagship location, providing further investment to drive forward local action.
The event encourages participants to experience a night outdoors to raise awareness. What do you hope they’ll take away from the experience?
A. A bad night’s sleep and the thought that that is the least of your worries when you don’t have a home. But I also hope people will come away with a few new friendships – participants of the Sleep Out over the last few years have reported a great sense of camaraderie. But it’s not all hardship – I have noticed many repeat participants so it must be on balance a really fun and worthwhile event to take part in! There is also the promise of hot drinks served by The Pret Foundation Rising Stars, speeches from the charities and a hot breakfast roll in the morning!
Looking ahead, what other initiatives or collaborations are you hoping to pursue in the future to further support those experiencing homelessness in London?
A. The Lord Mayor’s Appeal will continue to support charity partner Homewards through our exciting calendar of fundraising events. These include a dinner to celebrate Eid, to a drag night, a football tournament and a boxing match.. We hope to see some of you there!
Questions compiled by Lara Bowman
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