Senior business leaders across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have signed up with leading homelessness charity CEO Sleepout UK to participate in its first ever event taking place in Scotland.
This initiative to raise awareness and funding towards making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Aberdeen takes place on Monday 14th April, with over sixty senior leaders from businesses across the city sleeping out at Balmoral Stadium.
The event hopes to raise £30,000 for charities including Aberdeen Cyrenians, Cove Rangers Community Foundation, and Aberdeen Foyer supporting people across the North-East. This year CEO Sleepout aims to exceed the £800,000 it raised last year, with 20 sleepouts taking place across the UK in 2025.
The housing shortage in Aberdeen is a growing concern, impacting families across the city. The lack of affordable housing is pushing more people to live in unsuitable temporary accommodation, sofa-surf, or take to the streets.
Latest figures released by the Scottish government reveal that in 2024 Aberdeen City experienced a 24% increase in households assessed as homeless – between 2023 to 2024 there were 1,270 homeless households in Aberdeen.1
Donna Hutchison, CEO of Aberdeen Cyrenians, who will be joined by other business leaders at the event said, “Aberdeen Cyrenians is thrilled to participate in the CEO Sleepout Aberdeen. This event is a fantastic opportunity to unite those who share our vision of a prosperous Aberdeen that provides equal opportunities for all, regardless of background or circumstances. By focusing on prevention and support through a community-based, public health approach, we can potentially reduce the strain on emergency and statutory services and improve the overall wellbeing of our city.
“CEO Sleepout offers an amazing platform to communicate this message, raise awareness of the incredible work being done in our city, and demonstrate true partnership working for the good of the city.”
Bianca Robinson, CEO of CEO Sleepout, said, "CEO Sleepout is a vital lifeline for the hundreds of people in Aberdeen who will be going to sleep tonight in a place that is not their home. Homelessness in Aberdeen is significant, primarily due to the cost-of-living crisis and relatively low wages. Each month, the housing waiting list is growing rapidly, and each month, more families face the devastating reality of losing their homes.
"The impact of being homeless is devastating and affects the entire family. Once someone is homeless, it is exceptionally difficult for them to get back into paid employment. The loss of a stable and secure home impacts physical and mental well-being, as well as a child's education and future opportunities. Once people enter the cycle of homelessness and poverty, it can affect the family for a generation.
Leona McDermid, Chief Executive Aberdeen Foyer who is also taking part in the CEO Sleepout in Aberdeen said: "Homelessness can happen to anyone at any time. For young people, relationship breakdown and being asked to leave are cited as the most common reasons for youth homelessness. Only a very small number sleep rough however all young people who experience homelessness experience the fear of not having a safe place to call home for the night.
“The CEO Sleepout offers an incredible way of raising awareness of people's experiences of homelessness and the means to make sure it is rare, brief and non-recurring. It says to young people, 'we see you and we care about you'. Aberdeen Foyer is privileged to be part of this event and thanks all for joining us in our mission to ensure all young people have a safe place to call home."
Supporting local communication at this event will be Bridge Communication and Suz Bird, Digital Marketing strategist. Donating their time to this charity event they will be collaborating and integrating local communication through one central digital point, uniting the business community, the participants, and fundraising efforts.
Fiona Lindsay, Managing Director of Bridge Communication said “As a business that helps organisations connect with purpose, we understand the role communication plays in bringing people together for impact. Supporting CEO Sleepout allows us to use our expertise in a way that contributes to a greater good, building awareness, driving collaboration, and supporting the charities making change happen on the ground.
“We’re delighted to support this important charity initiative and help ensure the North-east community can follow their friends, family, and colleagues throughout their journey. Bridge Communication’s social media channels will be taken over for the next two weeks to bring digital coverage before, during, and after the event. We are all very much looking forward to being part of the very first Scottish CEO Sleepout UK event.”
To follow how over sixty senior leaders sleep under the stars, please follow Bridge Communication / LinkedIn / Instagram / or / Facebook.
To donate to this event or a participant, please click the link CEO Sleepout Aberdeen.