Centrepoint Ambassador and Radio 1 DJ, Dean McCullough, slept out in Manchester, alongside locals and businesses, to raise vital funds and awareness for homeless young people.
Centrepoint invited people from across the city to give up their beds for one night for Sleep Out, in solidarity with thousands of young people who face homelessness across the UK.
Alongside braving the cold, participants also learned about Centrepoint’s work, including talks from frontline experts as well as interactive activities specially designed to highlight the challenges young people face.
Dean McCullough, who experienced homelessness as a child and young adult, was one the many who bedded down for the night, and he said:
“When I was a teenager, I was constantly moving between houses and never really had a place I could call my own.
“This eventually led to me developing an abusive relationship with alcohol and drugs as well as dealing with the trauma that I’m still working through today.
“It’s only since working with Centrepoint that I’ve learned how prevalent ‘Hidden Homelessness’ is for young people living in the UK. There are too many cases, like mine, going under the radar.
“It’s my mission as Prevention Ambassador to raise awareness of Hidden Homelessness and stop our next generation from going through the broken system of homelessness.
“I’ve lived in Manchester for 8 years now, and I’m so proud of how we came together on Friday, raising vital awareness and funds for the young people facing homelessness across the country.”
All the funds raised from the Sleep Out go directly toward providing safe housing and critical support services, including for the charity’s work in Manchester.
Sleep Out is not about replicating what it’s like to be homeless - it’s a movement of solidarity, a collective effort to ensure that every young person has a safe place to call home. Register your interest to join us for next year's event!
