MORE than 1,000 IT and business professionals, including workers from Crewe, slept rough at sites across the UK at Action for Children’s annual Byte Night event - raising over £1m to fight youth homelessness.

In the very first North West based Byte Night event more than 150 sleepers, including staff from Crewe-based companies Mavoda and Nubeon bedded down in the Brother Campus, Audenshaw contributing over £80,000 so far to the growing £1m total.

The North West event was one of seven sponsored sleep-outs held to raise awareness of the plight of the 100,000 homeless young people in the UK. The money raised will fund services that provide emergency accommodation and emotional and practical support for homeless young people.

David Roots, Managing Director at Civica and co-chair on the North West Byte Night board, said: “It was enormously inspiring to see so many people sleep out on a cold October night in support of homeless young people in the area.

“We are really proud to have raised a landmark £1m and plans are already underway to make next year’s event even bigger and better – I urge fellow businesses from across the North West to sign up and join us next October. Not only is it a great team building and networking opportunity, but you are also helping us in the fight against the sad truths of youth homelessness.”

The North West sleep-out raised funds for several local Action for Children services - including the Trafford Time Out service which works with young carers and their families. Staff from Action for Children work with young people to identify, assess and provide the supported needed to ensure they can cope with their caring role and enjoy their childhood.

Byte Night is the technology and wider business community’s annual sleep out in support of Action for Children. Each year, colleagues from hundreds of companies spend a night exposed to the elements in a bid to raise sponsorship and awareness of the charity's work to combat youth homelessness and associated issues.

If you missed the chance to sleep out, there is still time to support Action for Children’s work. To donate, just text the word ‘BYTE13£5’ to 70070 or visit actionforchildren.org.uk.

The charity is already recruiting sleepers for next year’s event on Friday 3rd October 2014. To register or find out more, please visit bytenight.org.uk or email bytenight@actionforchildren.org.uk