On 18 October, 30 Society employees spent a wet and windy night sleeping outside to raise money for their head office charity partner, Newbury Soup Kitchen. So far, the sleepout has raised more than £7,000 for the charity via JustGiving – more than triple the original goal.
The Newbury Building Society team were joined by sleepers from LifeCycle Software, who also support the charity, as well as some of the team from Newbury Soup Kitchen themselves. Meryl Praill, CEO of Newbury Soup Kitchen, also attended the event to speak about the support the charity offers, as well as serve some much-needed hot food and drink.
Jamie Troughton, Head of Treasury, chose to forego the tent and sleep in the elements after surpassing his fundraising target of £500. He commented: “The sleep out was a humbling experience. I'm proud of the fact I spent the night outside without a tent in the pouring rain, however, we were all able to go back to our warm homes and beds in the morning, unlike those that Newbury Soup Kitchen supports. They do incredible work, and it was great to hear them talk about some of it on the night. It was fantastic that we have been able to raise over £7,000 – a huge thank you to the organisers, those who took part, and those who donated!”