I exchanged my mattress for a sleeping bag on the floor in London for one night.

Last week, together with several coworkers, I sacrificed comfort to participate in a campaign advocating for change.

You can still back our initiative by contributing at justgiving.com/team/newsquestlondon

The overnight event was held in support of Centrepoint, the nation’s primary organization addressing youth homelessness, which provides assistance to individuals aged 16 to 25.

The organization, established in London during December 1969, originally launched as emergency housing for young people without homes, operating from a church basement.

Its operations have expanded in response to the ongoing crisis of youth homelessness, with Centrepoint now believed to assist over 15,000 individuals annually in working toward greater independence.

It’s worth emphasizing that the sleep out event was never intended to simulate actual homelessness, but rather to increase awareness about this significant social issue.

We endured just one night of hardship, though for numerous young people throughout the UK this represents merely a preview of the difficulties they encounter (Image: Newsquest London)

Our team settled in after midnight, unrolling mats and adding extra clothing layers to combat the chill.

One of the often-overlooked luxuries we sometimes take for granted is a warm bed, though for each of us that luxury became abundantly clear as we climbed into our sleeping bags.

What we did possess, however, was the reassurance of knowing we had a home and bed waiting for us the following day.

After what I estimate was merely a few collective hours of rest, we awoke with stiff muscles, aching bodies, and feeling exhausted.

It was an unpleasant night, though that was precisely the point.

Within the single year spanning from 2024 to 2025, more than 118,000 young people experienced homelessness.

That equates to approximately one person every four minutes who finds themselves without shelter not by choice, and without the preparation we were lucky to have.

This is precisely why Centrepoint’s mission is so vital.

Thanks to generous contributions, Newsquest London managed to collect nearly £2,500 to support Centrepoint’s work toward its objective of eliminating youth homelessness by 2037.