UnityMK hoping to raise £8,000 with Big Sleepout

The charity is marking 15 years of Winter Night Shelter service this year.

The Milton Keynes homelessness charity says the funds could provide a full winter season of meals for people staying at their shelter, which operates between November and April each year. Last Winter, UnityMK provided 1,890 lifesaving beds and 4,318 hot meals.

It also hopes that tonight's sleep out (15th May) will raise awareness of the challenges experienced by those facing homelessness, with over 2,700 homeless people in Milton Keynes alone, making it one of the 20 local authorities outside of London with the highest rates of homelessness.

Over the last 14 years, UnityMK estimates it has provided nearly 26,500 winter night shelter beds for people who would otherwise have been sleeping on the streets. The need for this service continues, with the charity meeting around 10 new people experiencing homelessness every single week and regularly seeing 50 guests signing in for support at its welfare centre at Unity Park Station each day.

The sleep out, taking place from 8pm on Friday until 6am on Saturday (15/16 May), is supported and hosted by Milton Keynes-based Cranswick Convenience Foods at its premises on Steinbeck Crescent. Cranswick has been a partner of UnityMK since 2021, supporting the charity by raising money through events such as its annual summer family fun day, offering employment opportunities and providing staff volunteer hours.

2026 marks the fifth year the business has hosted the Big Sleepout, providing participants with a safe and controlled location with access to toilet facilities, cardboard to sleep on, hot drinks, first aid provision throughout the night and a 'grab and go' breakfast for participants in the morning.

Ria House, Corporate and Community Fundraising Manager at UnityMK, said: "The Big Sleepout is about more than just one night. It's a chance for people to come together, raise vital funds, and gain a small insight into some of the challenges faced by those experiencing rough sleeping in our city.

"As we mark 15 years of our Winter Night Shelter this year, it also feels like an important moment to reflect on what we've achieved together as a community, and how much that support still matters today, particularly as we continue to welcome around 10 new people into our centre each week who are experiencing homelessness.

"The £8,000 we're hoping to raise from this event could fund a full season of meals for our Winter Night Shelter guests, offering not just food, but warmth, hope, and the reassurance that someone is there for them.

"We're extremely grateful to Cranswick for kindly hosting the event again and for their long-standing partnership with UnityMK. Their support over the years has made a real and lasting difference to the people we work with."

To find out more about the event, click here (external link).