Veterans’ charity Alabaré will be taking their flagship fundraising event, the BIG Sleep, to the historic Tower of London on Friday 22 October.
For the first time ever, participants will bed down for the night in front of the Traitor’s Gate, at the Tower, all whilst raising vital funds and awareness to support homeless and vulnerable ex-military service personnel. This is a one-off opportunity to sleep out at the Tower of London, for what promises to be a bone-chilling, powerful and yet humbling experience, emulating what for many can be a daily way of life.
With support and endorsements from Bear Grylls and Dan Snow, and the legendary Yeoman Warders, Alabaré is hoping to raise a whopping £250,000 for this event; these funds will specifically support street homeless veterans, provide supported accommodation and opportunities to develop skills and confidence to live fulfilling lives once more.
Aspire Defence and Sodexo, who provide facilities management services to the Army have already signed up to the event.
Aspire Defence Services Limited Managing Director Mark Carr said:
“Aspire and Sodexo share a keen interest in Alabaré and the wellbeing of veterans. Many employees from the businesses served in the Armed Forces or have a military connection, so there have always been enthusiastic volunteers taking part in previous Big Sleeps; additionally Sodexo has played a key role by supplying food and drinks for participants.”
“This year’s event will be a fantastic occasion, and it’s not every day that you get the opportunity to sleep at the iconic Tower of London. There has already been a lot of interest from staff and many are keen to be a part of this unique occasion and raising essential funds for a charity that does so much for former service-personnel.”
Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Tower of London said:
“We’re delighted to be able to host Alabaré’s BIG Sleep at the Tower of London. We hope that this iconic location will attract lots of sleepers to experience the unique atmosphere of the Tower at night. Your donation and discomfort for a single night will help Alabaré support many others who are less fortunate. We look forward to seeing you here.”
In the lead up to the event, Alabaré, in conjunction with Goldman Sachs, hosted a private event on Winston Churchill’s boat Havengore, with former Governor of Gibraltar Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KSTJ who spoke on his experiences running the British overseas territory.
To learn more and sign-up to the event, please go to www.thebigsleep.org.uk
