Last night we were very proud to attend the launch of Byte Night in the North West. Byte Night is the annual sleep-out by those involved in the tech industry (and tech PR, of course) to raise money for Action for Children. Previously a huge success in London, and more recently Reading and Cambridge, this year the event is heading north.
I’m very proud to be part of a fantastic board that is working with Action for Children to help make Manchester’s event a resounding success.
The launch took place at The Midland Hotel, who very kindly provided complimentary food and drinks as well as donating the use of their fabulous venue – we are hugely grateful to them.
Speakers included former sleepers who shared their experiences of previous Byte Nights. We also heard from a volunteer at a Trafford Project for Young Carers who devotes her time to giving refuge to young people whose childhoods are often dominated by being a primary carer within the home.
Young people who find themselves in this situation often feel isolated, withdrawn and distanced from their peers. Projects such as the one supported by Action for Children in Trafford give them the opportunity to spend time with people who are living in similar circumstances and just want time and a place to act their age for a while.
We were delighted to see so many people come along to hear how money raised by the technology industry is helping to change lives – keeping children off the streets and giving them hope. But now the welcome drinks and canapés are over and the real work begins. The sleepover will take place on Friday 4th October in a field outside Brother’s Audenshaw headquarters. It will be cold and it may well be wet but if we can reach our target of £100,000 for the North West it will definitely be worth it.
We are looking for as many people as possible to sign-up, get fundraising and join us so we can prove that the North West tech sector can rise to the challenge.
To sign up please visit http://www.bytenight.org.uk/bytenight-north-west.cfm – and follow our hashtag #bytenightNW for regular updates.
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