Can you #Sleepbedless? asks Depaul campaign

Depaul UK has launched a new viral campaign which asks the public to sleep without beds for one night to raise awareness of hidden homelessness and raise funds to help cover the charity’s coronavirus crisis costs.

The campaign is called #SleepBedless and was created by Publicis•Poke via Food For Thought, a social initiative that invites agencies to donate their skills to help a charity. It asks people to undertake three simple actions: to sleep bedless for one night, to donate £5 to Depaul UK, and to nominate three other people to complete the #SleepBedless Challenge.

The coronavirus crisis has been devastating for young people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless, with Covid-19 making their lives, moving from place to places and sleeping on sofas or with strangers in unsafe situations, even more precarious.

Above: Strictly professional Neil Jones and social media influencer Meg Says are supporting the Depaul campaign.

Neil Jones, now famous as one of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing professionals, spent time as a teenager sleeping on the streets, and is supporting the campaign. "Issues around the homeless and especially the youth means so much to me because of my past experiences and this is why it was important that I could support Depaul and hopefully help someone the way people helped me," said Jones, who posted an image to Instagram supporting the cause.

#SleepBedless is a way for the public to take action, raise funds for Depaul and do genuine good in a time of need.

Depaul’s research has shown that more than half (55 percent) of young people in hidden homelessness have suffered some form of harm, such as mental or emotional abuse (29 percent), physical assault or abuse (28 percent), being pressured into drinking alcohol or taking drugs (25 percent), being sexually abused or exploited (12 percent) or having their property stolen (36 percent).

“We mustn’t forget the most vulnerable through this coronavirus crisis," said Dave Monk, Publicis•Poke's Executive Creative Director. "#SleepBedless is a way for the public to take action, raise funds for Depaul and do genuine good in a time of need.”

Nick Allsop was Creative Director on the campaign and you can find out more about it and donate to Depaul at this link.