Touched by the current homelessness crisis, a selfless group of young people in Kibble’s Safe Centre and care staff stepped up to raise the incredible sum of over £3000 to help end homelessness in Scotland.
This amazing contribution has been raised for Sleep in the Park, a mass sleep-out event, and five year strategy by Social Bite which aims to eradicate homelessness in Scotland for good. Through a range of fundraising events and activities led by young people in the Safe Centre and across campus, the young people’s amazing spirit and drive to make a difference to those less fortunate, has shown no bounds. Young People at Kibble continue to demonstrate their compassion for supporting others facing situations more difficult than themselves.
Perhaps the most notable of all of the fundraising efforts was the Safe Centre sleep out which took place on Wednesday 29 December. A group of young people, and care staff slept out all night in freezing conditions in the quadrangle of the building. The event raised a huge sum of money and despite the cold, young people were entertained with a talk by The Homeless World Cup and Carlton Athletic, who also held a football match against young people and staff. The evening saw young people sit around a camp fire, toasting marshmallows and playing guitar as they helped raise vital funds. While the young people couldn’t take part in the mass sleep out for Sleep in the Park, this enabled them to experience a taste of the cold temperatures that homeless people endure each night.
In addition to the sleep out, fundraising efforts included ‘The Big Breakfast Roll Shop’ which served 600 hungry staff a delicious breakfast to set them up for the day. Young people in the Safe Centre took charge of the busy kitchen to manage the orders and prepare the food. Next up was the staff Race Night on Saturday 4 November where staff, friends and families donned their glad rags and rummaged deep into their pockets to support fundraising efforts in a fun, albeit competitive evening!
In the run up to Christmas, young people organised a Christmas Fayre selling a range of homemade arts and crafts, and delicious home baking to Kibble staff. The senior managers and Board were also treated to an evening of fine dining in the Safe Centre as young people and staff set up an extravagant pop-up restaurant to rival all Michelin starred establishments, under the watchful eye of Donald Munro – Executive Chef at Kibble. Young people helped prepare a delicious 3-course dinner, provided silver service and even entertained their dinner guests with songs and musical performances. Other activities included a ‘welly walk’ where primary children at Kibble’s Garnock Lodge Primary school did a muddy sponsored walk around Castle Semple County Park, and a silent auction for Kibble staff.
Sinclair Soutar, Executive Director of Secure Care, said:
“When we set the ambitious fundraising target of £3000, we knew it was going to be tough but we didn’t just meet it, we smashed it! This is testament to the incredible young people who continue to amaze and inspire us with their generosity and commitment to supporting those in worse situations than themselves. We’re so proud of what they have achieved and hope the money will help contribute to helping the lives of those living on the streets.”