Channel execs raise over £100,000 at World's Big Sleep Out

Homeless charities benefit from annual event

A team of channel execs have raised over £100,000 to help end homelessness worldwide.

Events were held globally as part of the World's Big Sleep Out over the weekend, with Softcat CEO Graeme Watt assembling a group of channel bosses from resellers and vendors.

Pictured above - back row, left to right: Jamie Campbell-Harris, Stuart Fenton, Al Wynn, Richard Lecoutre, James Chadwick, Sarah Shields, James Napp, Aidan Groom.

Front Row, left to right: Tom Corrigan, Scott Dodds, Graeme Watt, Angela Whitty, Mark Armstrong.

The team raised over £100,000, which is currently the most of any team that took part in the London event, held in Trafalgar Square.

Watt has also raised more than any other individual who took part in London, at over £25,000, while other members from the team are listed among the top fundraisers.

The fundraising campaign is still open and you can donate by visiting Watt's page here.

The chief exec told CRN that while the conditions were relatively mild, persistent rain made it a tough night.

"The fact that it rained was quite good, in the sense that it made it a lot harder and we got a very small insight into one of a myriad of challenges that the homeless face," he said.

"For us we could all go home and dry our stuff out, but how do they battle with those conditions?

"We get united by this common cause, and it was about making a statement about how unacceptable homelessness is anywhere, let alone a civilised country like the UK. It's a massive crime that we haven't sorted it.

"If being part of the whole thing pushes it up the social agenda then that is great too, and in the end we raised a lot of money."

More than 60,000 people took part in the World's Big Sleep Out, across 50 countries globally. Watt was joined by 11 channel execs, as well as friends from other industries, creating a team of 20.

Jamie Campbell-Harris, director at CRN's publisher Incisive Media was part of the team, and said: "It was a great event, with a fantastic atmosphere.

"Everyone enjoyed the evening's entertainment, but they also had some inspirational people speak about the homeless charities being supported, including some individuals who had been homeless themselves and talked about how they had turned their lives around with the help of these charities.

"It put everything into context and perspective and definitely made the whole thing worthwhile."