Download documents:

Information packs (PDF, 1.7MB)
Sponsorship form (PDF, 163KB)
Registration form (word, 3.2MB)
Poster template (word, 2.5MB)

Take part in Sleep Out

Everything you'll need to know, step by step

Download all documents mentioned below in the quick links to the left.

STEP 1: Decide! 
Poverty & Homelessness Action Week 2010 will run from 29 January to 6 February 2012.
Our Sleep Easy will take place on 2-3 March 2012 .

Choose a venue - It might be a church garden, school grounds or a private outdoor space. 
It will need access to toilets, drinking water, and indoor shelter. Ideally, it will have access to a kitchen too.

Please contact Corporate Communications at West London YMCA to let us know about your event: communications@londonymca.org or 0300 11 11 500 ext. 6569.

STEP 2: Get registered! Complete your registration form (word, 3.2MB) for the event -
see posters for contact details.

STEP 3: Sponsorship!
Consider setting up an online sponsorship page with Justgiving – it’s free and easy. Tell everyone you know – friends, colleagues, family – that you’re sleeping out and raising money to help transform the lives of young people. Approach them directly, send an email, telephone them, put something on your social networking site, add a footer to your e-mail – or even wear a badge with ‘I’m sleeping out for West London YMCA’, so that they really get the message! Use whatever means work for you. Also, check out and use the latest Justgiving iPhone app!

STEP 4: Use the traditional sponsorship form in the information packs (PDF, 1.7MB).
Make sure you go everywhere with your sponsorship form so that you can sign up sponsors when the opportunity arises. And don’t forget to ask people who pay UK income or capital gains taxes to Gift Aid their donation. This allows us to claim from the Government an extra 28p for every £1 that they sponsor you. Down load and print extra sponsorship form (PDF, 163KB) if needed.

STEP 5: Remind all your sponsors that the Sleep Easy is coming up, so they know you’ll soon be asking them to honour their pledge — you could even let them know the weather forecast for that night so that they realise the commitment you are making. Don’t forget to shout about it once you’ve completed the Sleep Easy– you’ll have done something amazing and so it’s only right you tell everyone!

STEP 6: Card board boxes for your event, please contact communications@londonymca.org.

STEP 7: Enjoy the event!

STEP 8: After the event, make sure you continue to go everywhere with your sponsorship form and an envelope to collect your sponsorship money. You may be able to ask additional people for sponsorship; it doesn’t matter that you have already slept out. Return the sponsorship forms and money collected to your event organiser.

Asking for sponsorship can feel a bit awkward and embarrassing. Don’t be shy! Most people will be only too willing to help when they realise what you are doing.

And finally...
STEP 9: Return sponsorship money to the event organiser and thank your sponsors for supporting you by emailing them a few photos of you in the cold.

If you are organising a Sleeep Out, you will need to:

Before the event:

Advertise! Amend the poster template (word, 2.5MB) and Registration form (word, 3.2MB)
to include relevant event details and contacts. Think about how widely you can advertise your event and get those posters printed and out there

Print and distribute information packs (PDF, 1.7MB) to the participants.
Down load and print extra sponsorship form (PDF, 163KB) if needed.

Recruit! Email or print registration forms and circulate to all who might be interested. Keep a register of who is expected to sleep out and collect registration forms which also include consent for under 18’s who are participating.

At the event:

Provide a safe place to sleep out with access to toilets, drinking water and indoor shelter.

Remember to do a site risk assessment before and on the day of the event.

It is important to have all participants sign in on the night and have all registration forms (which include the under 18’s Consent Form) checked and handed in on arrival (or before the event to confirm numbers and emergency contact details). 

You could provide fun activities during the evening.

You may like to ask other who are not sleeping out to contribute by cooking breakfast, or some hot food or soup in the evening!

After the event:

Check your register to ensure that each participant has returned their sponsorship money. Then send a cheque made out to "West London YMCA " to: West London YMCA, FAO Corporate Communications, 45 St Mary's Road, Ealing, W5 5RG. Please email us so we know it's on the way! 

West London YMCA can provide: 

If you have any questions about the event, please do contact the Corporate Communications team on 0300 11 11 500 ext. 6569
or via e-mail: communications@londonymca.org

Gift Aid:


If you pay tax in the UK, then Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your gift at no cost to you. Making your donation using Gift Aid will enable West London YMCA to reclaim the basic rate of tax on your gift. This means that if you donate £10 using Gift Aid, that gift is worth £12.82 to West London YMCA.

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