Senior IT professionals are gearing up to on London's
Embankment near Tower Bridge on Friday 23 September 2005. The aim
is to raise more than £250,000 for disadvantaged
children.
Since it started in 1998, the annual Byte Night event has raised
more than £1m for charity NCH. Due to local authority matched
funding, every £1 raised by the sleepers will result in £5 going to
the children's charity. Moreover, 93p in every £1 raised goes
directly to support those in need.
Participants come from all sectors of IT, ranging from chief
information officers of user organisations to chief executives of
major IT suppliers, and even government ministers. In recent years
they have included David Burden, CIO of Royal Mail, the then IT
minister Stephen Timms and Steve Gill, UK chief executive of
Hewlett-Packard.
Anyone in IT can take part, on condition that they undertake to
raise a minimum of £2,000 in sponsorship. This year teams are also
being encouraged to take part - the minimum sponsorship expected
per team is £5,000.
Last year Byte Night raised £217,000. NCH uses the money in a
variety of ways, including paying for emergency overnight support
for young people who are living on the streets; providing
one-to-one advice for young people leaving care; and to keep young
people in supported lodging.
Speaking in support of last year's charity sleep-out, London
mayor Ken Livingstone said, "Byte Night is a fine example of the IT
industry working to raise awareness of the homeless. We need to
bring to an end the social exclusion that homelessness brings."
For more information visit the bytenight website.
www.bytenight.org.uk
Support our man on the streets
Computer Weekly's managing editor John Riley will be sleeping
out at Byte Night this year for the fourth time - and he is looking
for sponsorship. To support him, visit the BMYcharity website.
https://www.bmycharity.com/
JohnRileyByteNight