Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Byte Night 2010

September 30 2010
Hundreds of IT professionals sleep out in aid of Action for Children

In October, hundreds of IT and business professionals will spend a night on the street in aid of Action for Children.

Although sleep-outs have attracted some criticism since they've become more popular, Byte Night has been running for 12 years. It began when 30 people from the IT industry held a sleep-out and raised £35,000. Since then, the event has grown to over 800 sleepers, and it raised almost £550,000 last year alone.

In Scotland, the big sleep-out for Byte Night 2010 is in Edinburgh. Financial house Ernst & Young has supported the project for several years, and this month their Glasgow office entered two teams, each hoping to raise £3,000. A spokesman commented: "We have always been avid supporters of Action for Children, realising the huge difference they make to vulnerable children's lives. This year we have entered two teams hoping to not only raise more money but also to raise further awareness for Action for Children."

Action for Children's youth projects provide a wide range of support services to help young people avoid homelessness including emergency and homelessness support, lodgings for those leaving the care system, and housing education programmes.

Byte Night organiser Alwyn Jones expressed fear that fundraising may be harder this year due to the recession, even though the need is greater than ever. "The market is picking up and the uncertainty of the election is over so charities may think they don't have to work so hard to get money – but I think this could be our hardest year. Companies will be cautious about spending money, and hiring people, so they will also be cautious about spending money on charity."

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