16th November 2015
More than 40 graduates from the nuclear industry are set to shiver in sub-zero temperatures to help older people suffering in the cold this winter.
The Big Sleep is a fundraising event held to raise money for Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal.
Now in its third year, the organised mass sleep out takes place in a field behind the Low Wood Bay Hotel, Windermere on Saturday 30th January 2016. Participants are sponsored to camp out in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees and in return, the charity provides food and entertainment to keep them going.
In a bad winter, 300 older Cumbrians die every year due to the cold climate. They are dying because they are made to choose between heating and eating. The Winter Warmth Appeal raises money to help elderly residents of Cumbria keep warm through the frosty season.
40 graduates on Cohort 8 of the nucleargraduates programme, as well as three team leaders based at Energus, have entered as teams of five to see who can raise the most money for the appeal. They also get the opportunity to volunteer at the event helping to set up the site, act as guides and porters and control the safety of the pedestrian and parking areas.
Carolyne Taylor, Learning and Development Lead for the programme said: “We have made a choice to be cold for one night but for thousands of people in Cumbria, there is no choice. They will be cold every night this winter.
“A small number of graduates took part in the Big Sleep earlier this year but we want to make a bigger impact next year. The new cohort of graduates are all keen to be involved and spending a night in the cold will make them realise how privileged they all are.”
Footprints is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) element of the nucleargraduates programme. This is a chance to effect real change in the real world. One of their most important stakeholders is the communities in which the nuclear industry operates.
The challenge allows the graduates to understand the complexities that older people are facing with regards food, heating and fuel bills. By taking part in the Big Sleep and battling a night of cold weather they will raise vital funds to ensure that people can heat their homes effectively this winter.
During the winter of 2014/15, Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal raised £107,000. Of that, £17,000 was raised in one night by 200 people taking part in the Big Sleep – the charity wants to beat this figure in 2016.
Want to take part and help raise funds for vulnerable older people in Cumbria? Enter in to the Big Sleep here!
