Black Country Community Raises £12K to Support Young People Starting Independent Lives

One Night Outside Helps 50 Young People Move Forward With Dignity

Fifty incredible people braved the cold at Merry Hill Car Park on Friday for our annual Sleep Easy event, joining together to raise awareness of youth homelessness and vital funds for our Moving Forward Fund. We are thrilled to share that, thanks to their efforts, we have already raised over £12,614, which is enough to support around 50 young people with a £250 Moving Forward Fund grant as they take their next steps into independent living.

Sleep Easy challenges participants to spend one night sleeping outside in a cardboard box. While it can never fully reflect the reality of homelessness, the experience offers a powerful insight into the instability and difficult choices young people often face before coming to YMCA.

Community Spirit at Its Best

We were once again blown away by the generosity and kindness shown by the Black Country community. From returning supporters to first‑time sleepers, the sense of solidarity throughout the night was inspiring. We had several corporate teams join us this year, who collectively raised almost £5,000 through their sponsorship. Special thanks to those who joined us from:

• BPN Architects
• Pro-Networking
• PMP Consultants
• Washstation
• The West Brom

We wouldn’t be able to host Sleep Easy without the support of CBS Packaging in West Bromwich, who every year donate 250 boxes for our participants to build their cardboard shelters for the night. We also want to extend a huge thank you to our food partners, whose ongoing generosity kept everyone warm, fed and motivated:

• Napoli Slice House, who donated 20 hot pizzas
• Burrito Kitchen, Eat Central Merry Hill, who provided discounted burrito bowls and donuts

Merry Hill has supported Sleep Easy since 2018, and their continued kindness helped make the night a huge success.

A Message from Sally Cowan

Sally Cowan, Chief Officer for Places at YMCA Black Country Group, shared her thanks:

“We’re delighted to have enjoyed another incredible year of Sleep Easy, supported by local businesses and individuals, coming together for a great cause and absolutely smashing our target of £10,000 with a total so far of £12,614 and counting!

This money provides around 50 young people with a £250 grant to make their house a home when they leave YMCA – the impact of this is priceless.

A big thank you to Merry Hill who have hosted us since 2018, Napoli Slice House and Burrito Kitchen for providing the space, food and security to keep everyone fed, dry and safe.”

Why Sleep Easy Matters

Every pound raised goes directly into the Moving Forward Fund, which provides essential household items, like bedding, furniture, white goods and kitchen equipment, to young people starting their first independent tenancy. For young people moving on from supported accommodation, these grants are truly transformative. Like Jay, who recently shared with us how he used his grant to buy a washing machine, vital to helping him succeed and mentor other young people whilst at Sea Cadets.

Thank You for Standing With Us

In a time when many families and individuals are feeling the pinch, seeing our community rally together with such generosity is nothing short of inspiring. We feel incredibly fortunate to have supporters who trust in our work and continue to stand with us year after year, helping us create meaningful change for young people across the Black Country.

Thank you to everyone who slept out, donated, volunteered, provided food or space, or simply cheered us on. You are the reason Sleep Easy continues to thrive.