Lawn Manor Academy will host this year’s Sleep Out, as Swindon homelessness charity Threshold brings back its annual fundraising and awareness event.
The Sleep Out takes place on Friday 20 February 2026 and invites families, individuals and groups to spend a night sleeping outdoors in solidarity with people facing homelessness.
The event is designed to be safe and family-friendly, with a minimum age of 11, while challenging stigma and raising money to help local people access secure housing.
By hosting the event, Lawn Manor Academy is helping to share the message that everyone deserves the chance of a stable home and a positive future.
Participants will be able to enjoy hot food, meet others from across the community and learn more about the realities of homelessness in Swindon.
Local businesses are supporting the event, with Village Hotel Swindon providing jacket potatoes in the evening and Rapid Relief Team UK serving a hot breakfast the following morning.
The Sleep Out also includes engagement with students, families and community groups, helping to challenge misconceptions that can lead to isolation and social exclusion.
Almost 1,000 people were homeless in Swindon last year, around half of them children. A further 900 households were threatened with homelessness, with figures rising sharply year on year.
Threshold says homelessness can affect anyone, and those experiencing it often face complex challenges including poor physical and mental health, trauma and poverty.
The charity has received a £1,000 grant from Places for People, meaning all money raised through ticket sales and sponsorship will go directly towards housing and support services for local people.
Tickets and fundraising pages are available at threshold.charity/sleepout26.
For volunteering or enquiries, email email hidden; JavaScript is requiredy.
