Bond managing director Derek Curtis and owner of Fisherman’s Lodge, Jocelyn Maxfield, warm up during Byte NightEven sudden downpours at 4am and the promise of Halloween witches wandering through the sleeping area in the grounds of Fisherman’s Lodge were not enough to put a dampener on the charity event.
Sunderland-based software experts Bond organised North East Byte Night in aid of Action for Children (formerly NCH), the charity that supports vulnerable and excluded children and young people including those who have recently left care or are homeless.
Byte Night is the IT industry's annual sleep out in support of Action for Children. Each year hundreds of individuals and teams from the technology and IT industries spend a night exposed to the elements in a bid to raise sponsorship and awareness of Action for Children’s work.
Derek Curtis, managing director at Bond, said: ”It was such a great night. We spent quite a bit of it huddled under umbrellas, and chatting into the early hours of the morning. A few people were drenched when the heavens opened at about four o’clock, but with the survival bags given to us by Action for Children, most of us stayed relatively dry!
“There were rumours going round the group that a coven of witches from Jesmond Dene might wander through our sleeping patch, but sadly it seems the rain put them off. Even the swamp rats appeared to avoid our rain-drenched area.
“We’ve managed to raise an impressive £4000 so far, but obviously if people would still like to donate, they can. Next year, I’m hoping we can double the amount of people who sleep out with us; I’d love to be able to reach the £8000 mark.”
Helping to host the event and even joining in herself was Jocelyn Maxfield, owner of Fisherman’s Lodge. She said: “When Derek approached me with the idea to hold the event in the grounds of the lodge, I jumped at the chance. This was a fabulous opportunity to raise some money, as well as awareness of homelessness, whilst also having a lot of fun.
”I view the homeless in a completely different way now. No one would sleep outside and open to all the elements out of choice. We had the luxury of being in a safe, secure area whilst in the grounds to the lodge, but the homeless don’t have that. I hope the money we raised manages to help change this.”
The event began ten years ago when 30 individuals from the IT industry slept out and raised £35,000. Since then the event has grown to extraordinary heights, attracting 270 sleepers and raising almost £400,000 in 2007 alone.
In October hundreds of individuals from the IT and technology sector were exposed to the elements as they spent a night under the stars to raise vital sponsorship and awareness of youth homelessness and the difficulties faced by young people leaving care.
Large scale events happened in
North East community fundraiser for Action for Children, Linda McDonald, said: “This is the first time that we’ve had a Byte Night in the region, so all us ‘sleepers’ were the guinea pigs. As it was, it was a wonderful success, and I would absolutely do it again.
“I think I was the only one who managed to get any sleep; I didn’t even notice the rain! It was certainly an experience, but the fact we raised so much is a testament to all the people who joined in. Derek was a fantastic organiser, and without him and Bond, this wouldn’t have even happened. Roll on Byte Night 2009!”
For more information on how to donate, or how you can be involved in Byte Night 2009, contact Derek Curtis at derek.curtis@bond-solutions.com or visit http://nebytenight.blogspot.com.
