Manchester Sleep Out: 21 February 2025

Arrival at the venue will be at 8pm. Please make sure to bring everything you need with you as there will be no re-entry.

Activities will start from 8pm and the panel discussion will be at 9pm. 

Lights out will be at 11pm and people will leave by 8am the following morning. 

The night will feature a range of activities and a panel discussion designed to give you deeper insight into youth homelessness and Centrepoint’s vital work. It’s a great chance to connect with staff, learn more about how we support young people and the challenges they face every day, and discover how you can get involved. 

Activities involve:

• Helpline calls – Listen to anonymised re-recordings of young people's calls to the Centrepoint Helpline. Discover the vital role our Helpline staff play in providing immediate support and hear first hand about the life-changing impact of their work.
• Bag packing activity– As a young person facing homelessness, you may have one minute to pack your bag before you have to leave your house and can't turn back. What do you bring? 
• Awards cinema– Watch some of the stories of young people that received Centrepoint Awards. Hear their stories of overcoming challenges to remind us what we’re doing it all for.

You can take part in as many activities as you like throughout the evening. Plus, there will be a raffle with fantastic prizes!

At around 11 p.m., the lights go out, and the real challenge begins. You'll settle in for the night of discomfort. Don't worry—our team will be on hand all night, whether you have questions or just need a warm drink to keep you going. 

Kit List:

• A sleeping bag
• A roll mat or yoga mat, if you want to add a little bit of comfort under your sleeping bag- you will be sleeping on hard floor so please bring necessary items if you need more support
• A pillow
• Thermals, warm layers, gloves and hats! (If you hit your fundraising target, you'll be able to pick up a Sleep Out hat on the night!)
• Comfortable clothing
• Thick socks
• An eye mask
• Toothbrush and toothpaste, and any other toiletries 
• A fully-charged phone with a torch- we will have some lights on overnight so you can find your way to the toilets
• A power bank if necessary, there will be no power sockets available for charging
• A reusable drinks cup or water bottle if you have one

Please be aware that there will not be a designated locked area to leave your things, so we would advise not to bring valuables, or to bring a smaller bag to keep valuables on you at all times. 

There will be lots of delicious hot drinks on hand throughout the night, including teas, coffees and hot chocolates to keep you warm, as well as soft drinks and light snacks, all free of charge. 

We will also provide light refreshments in the morning to prepare you for the journey home. 

Conveniently situated in the heart of Manchester's city center, Depot Mayfield offers easy access for visitors from near and far.

Just a quick two-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, arriving by train is effortless, with connections to destinations across the north readily available. Moreover, bus and tram services are conveniently located within walking distance, ensuring hassle-free access to Depot Mayfield from all corners of Greater Manchester.

Our Sleep Outs are welcome to groups of all sizes. We have a mix of activities so that you can enjoy the event on your own, in pairs or groups. There’ll also be plenty of space for you to sleep next to your group as well. 

Unfortunately we can't allow pets.

We can, however allow service dogs. If you would like to bring a service dog, please get in touch with us at sleepout@centrepoint.org.

You will be sleeping within Depot Mayfield, in an covered and safe indoor area under the arches. 

For health and safety reasons, you will not be sleeping outside or on public streets. However, we will be keeping the large doors open to the space overnight and so it will be very cold and noisy!

You will be sleeping indoors for a number of reasons:

Homelessness comes in many forms

Its important to recognise that not all homelessness is rough sleeping and not having roof to sleep under. In fact, 'hidden homelessness' makes up a large proportion of young people experiencing homelessness in the UK. Hidden homelessness can involve sofa surfing, staying with different relatives or staying with different friends. 

Health and Safety

By Sleeping Out in a an enclosed, safe venue, we can make sure to carry out the necessary risk assessments and provide the relevant security to maintain the safety of participants. 

Replication 

Sleep Out does not intend to directly replicate rough sleeping. Instead, we aim to provide a very small glimpse into just some of the challenges faced by young people facing homelessness. The evening aims to raise awareness through activities and panel discussions, as well as providing insight into Centrepoint's work. 

We have an 11+ age limit. Anyone under 18 has to be accompanied by an adult, and if you would like to sign up someone under 18, please email sleepout@centrepoint.org as you will need to fill out a consent form before attending.

We set a suggested minimum target of £250 per person, and the Centrepoint team will be on hand to support you to reach this. 

When you buy a Centrepoint charity place in an event, we ask you to reach a minimum fundraising target. The money you raise covers the cost of the event place and the administration fees we pay for you to take part. It also helps us to deliver the services we provide to homeless young people.

If you're concerned you won’t reach your fundraising target, please email us at sleepout@centrepoint.org as soon as possible. We're on hand to help you out with tips and ideas that will help you reach your target. We may be able to extend your deadline so that you have that little bit longer to fundraise.

Your fundraising will go directly towards supporting young people who are at risk of experiencing homelessness, or have experienced homelessness.

Centrepoint is a safe space for young people to build an independent future, providing expert support and secure housing to those who are in need.  

Here are some examples of what your fundraising target of £250 could provide:

• £33 could help our helpline staff connect a young person with safe shelter.
• £120 could fund an essential starter pack for a young person arriving at our accommodation services, ensuring that they have fresh bedding, towels, toiletries, cooking equipment and winter clothing. 
• £200 could provide 10 psychotherapy or counselling sessions for a vulnerable young person, ensuring that those experiencing a mental health crisis receive the crucial support that they need.

We work across Manchester specifically with a helpline centre and outreach services. Find out more about our Manchester services here: Our Manchester centre | Centrepoint

Yes, it is possible to fundraise as part of a team, in fact groups of more that 4 can use the code GROUP at the checkout and get free registration!

Each participant will need to sign up individually through our sign up form, and through the form you will be automatically redirected to set up their own JustGiving page. 

You can then set up a separate Team Page on JustGiving, and link your individual pages to this team page.

Yes! 

When you sign up, we will be in touch regularly with fundraising tips and advice and much more information about the event in the lead up to the night! 

If you don't receive any emails, please make sure to check your junk folders.

Yes, some workplaces offer match funding! It’s always worth asking your employer to see if this is possible. If you would like to discuss getting your workplace involved further, drop us an email at sleepout@centrepoint.org and we'd be happy to chat!