YMCA East Surrey is organising Sleep Easy 2025 on Friday 4 April, taking place at the Old Pheasantry on Colley Hill, Merrywood Grove, Tadworth, Surrey.
People are invited to participate and raise money for the charity’s Employment Support Fund which provides financial assistance to young residents to improve outcomes in work, education and training.
Applicants are encouraged to challenge themselves by sleeping in the open for one night in the grounds of the outdoor residential centre on the North Downs. They will be given cardboard to build a shelter for the night, topped up with food, hot drinks and campfire chats. An optional moonlit hike is also on the agenda.
The charity has encouraged local teams to get involved and one group of ten is participating from the Surrey-based business TotalEnergies Gas & Power UK Ltd.
IT Application Support Manager Marie Butcher will be leading a team of ten, comprising eight females and two males on Sleep Easy 2025. She said, “This is a really important cause. Personally, I think there’s a lot of negativity towards homeless people. Many think that they are homeless by choice, which I don’t believe is the case. Individuals can have unfortunate circumstances in life. To be without a safe home environment is one of the worst things to encounter. So for me, just to experience a tiny aspect of what they are going through helps to raise awareness and spread the word about how difficult homelessness can be. If you haven’t experienced homelessness you cannot really know, so it’s good that people can experience just a little slice of it for themselves. Also, we’ll be raising much needed funds for homeless young people in the area.”
Marie Butcher has put together the team as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team, integrating social concerns with their operations. Marie added, “This challenge event will bring together employees from many different areas of the business. It’s a fun way to get to know other colleagues through a shared group experience, while raising funds for an important cause.”
YMCA East Surrey has managed and owns The Old Pheasantry since August 2024, following a merger with Land and City Family Trust (LCFT) and this is the first Sleep Easy challenge event at the new venue.
Entry costs are £10 for adults (18+) and £5 for 16-18-year-olds. Activities start at 19:00 on Friday 4 April and end at 07:00 on Saturday 5 April. For further information please visit www.ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk/sleep-easy/. It could well be a night out on the downs you’ll never forget!
