According to YaleGlobal, around 1.6bn people are either homeless or lack adequate housing around the world. To show solidarity for this 20% of the world’s population, celebrities, business owners and communities alike slept outside in back gardens, local towns and iconic locations around the world in unison.
The aim of The World’s Big Sleep Out was to raise lifesaving funds for a target of one million homeless and displaced people.
Ocean Outdoor supported the cause by donating £130,000 of out-of-home (OOH) airtime across its digital advertising screens in Birmingham, Glasgow and London as well as providing a cash donation for the cause.
The point is we slept rough, we woke up miserable and we were moved on – and that’s what’s happening to the homeless on the streets day in day out worldwide”
Chief executive officer of the company, Tim Bleakley headed over to Trafalgar Square in London with only a sleeping bag and a bivvy bag to join 60,000 other people in 52 other cities in the sleepout.
Describing his experience, Bleakley says: “At 6.30am we were woken up and asked to go. There was no camaraderie, no watching the sunrise together over Nelson’s column. The point is we slept rough, we woke up miserable and we were moved on – and that’s what’s happening to the homeless on the streets day in day out worldwide.”
Participants gathered in various locations across the US, UK, Europe, India, Africa, and the Philippines and the campaign has so far raised $10m (£7.6m) with further contributions being taken until Christmas Eve.
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