After the phenomenal success of the 2008 SleepOut (over £10,500 raised) Doorway staff, volunteers and members of the local community will once again be braving the great British winter weather and sleeping rough to increase awareness of homelessness in North Wiltshire and raise much needed funds for the Doorway drop-in centre.

The SleepOut will take place from 7pm on Saturday 31st January 2009 until 7am on Sunday 1st February at St Andrew’s Church, Market Place, Chippenham. The event has once again been organised to coincide with Homelessness Sunday on 1st February 2009, a national event to highlight homelessness.

The SleepOut Pack, including guidelines and general information regarding the event; registration and sponsorship forms, is now available to download from here or by post / collection from the Doorway office

Doorway would like to invite members of the public, businesses and other organisations to support this event by participating in the SleepOut, joining us for the first part of the night, or by publicising the event.

Please telephone the Doorway office for 01249 445385 or email for more details.

It would be very helpful if all participants could telephone or email to register their interest in the event so that we can keep records in advance of numbers for health and safety purposes

Download SleepOut Pack 2009

Photos from SleepOut 2008 are here

Update 5th February 2009

Despite arctic weather conditions and temperatures below freezing, 25 people participated in this year's SleepOut!

Media coverage this year was brilliant! Lisa gave live radio interviews on both Saturday and Sunday mornings for BBC Radio Wiltshire; the Gazette and Herald ran our press releases both before and after the SleepOut; GWR publicised the event on the Saturday morning; and our press release was featured on the BBC website in the weeks leading up to the event.

Doorway Project Assistant, Siobhan Chisholm, said" It was so cold and nothing you could do helped - but people were determined to go the distance and wait it out. The cold was unbearable and as the wind got up, people just hankered down in their cardboard boxes and tried to sleep.

"Although it was freezing cold it was a good indication as to what homeless people have to put up with every day of their lives. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part - it really was a tremendous feat."

"It was a very different atmosphere from last year - it was a quieter and more sedate affair. It always amazes us that the community gathers around like this and, despite the Arctic conditions, they are prepared to do this in the name of charity."

Doorway would like to thank St Andrew's Church for allowing us to use the premises; all the volunteers and supporters who helped during the night; everyone who slept out in the most appalling weather; Chippenham Police and Neighbourhood Policing Teams; the St John's Ambulance volunteers; members of Lingmara Community Choir who sang around our campfire; Allington Farm Shop who very kindly donated firewood; and everyone who sponsored Doorway.

Photos from the SleepOut 2009 will be uploaded very shortly!