Business West managing director Phil Smith is calling on Swindon firms to take part in Action For Children’s Byte Night, the sponsored sleep out that helps fund projects tackling homelessness among young people.
Ahead of the sleep out on October 2, he is backing an auction which went live today and lasts until September 20 in aid of Action for Children. All proceeds go to the charity’s work to keep vulnerable young people off the streets and enable them to build better lives.
Last year Phil, pictured, and nine of his staff joined other local companies to sleep rough on a freezing cold, damp night in October. 
He said: “This one uncomfortable night’s sleep was to raise awareness and donations to help the hundreds of thousands of children who find themselves in the same position through no fault of their own.
“We spoke with teenagers who weren’t alcoholics or drug addicts, they were just unlucky because they had fallen out with their parents or their parents didn’t care enough about them. This could happen to a child we know.
“The stats are frightening. In the first four weeks of sleeping rough, over 75% will be sexually or physically abused.”
Business West, which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, has already raised more than £1,000 from staff, but would like to ramp it up.
To get involved visit http://www.businesswest.co.uk/bytenight. The site features more than 30 great auction lots such as stays at local hotels, a Mulberry handbag, restaurant meals, family days out and spa treatments.
More than 100 people have already pledged to take part in the 2015 South West Action For Children’s Byte Night at At-Bristol on Harbourside.
Businesses supporting the sleep out include Harvey Nash, Proctor & Stevenson, Aerian, Bloodhound, Boeing, BT, Business West, Farmcover, FedEx, Lloyds, National Composites Centre, Oxford Innovation Services, Technical Touch, Weston Area NHS Health Trust, Rolls Royce, Civica, Amplify, KPMG, EY, Bright Pearl, Keystone Law, Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and People Source Consulting.
It will be the 18th annual Byte Night. Last year the event attracted more than 1,500 people across the UK.
Jennifer O’Connell, a director at accountancy firm EY and joint chair of Byte Night South West said: “An Action for Children survey earlier this year recently revealed that 18% of young people in Bristol phone their parents every day after moving out of the family home which didn’t surprise me as the first steps into independence can be tough.
“Sadly, help isn’t always available for the most vulnerable young people in Bristol such as those have left the care system or who have suffered a severe relationship breakdown with their family. These young people can be forced to live independently at a very early age and with little support, and they don’t always have someone to phone and ask ‘how do I fix this?’ or ‘would you be able to give me a sub?’”
