The world’s biggest sleeping bag has this afternoon been unveiled by Bradford Bulls chief exectuive Robbie Hunter-Paul.
Its launch marks one week to go until the Centrepoint Sleep Out, being staged in Bradford for the first time ever, at the Provident Stadium, Odsal.
Twenty-one members of James Lowes’ first-team squad are joining Hunter-Paul in taking part in the Thursday November 6 event – and more than 100 people are set to join them.
Money raised through sponsorships and sign-ups is to be divided equally between youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, which works with more than 300 vulnerable 16-25 year-olds in the Bradford area, and The Bradford Bulls Foundation, which uses the power of sport to educate, motivate and inspire the local community with sport and education.
The hard-hitting Sleep Out event gives participants a glimpse of what it is like to sleep on Britain’s streets, a shocking reality for some of the 80,000 young people who find themselves homeless in Britain every year.
The world’s biggest sleeping bag was made by Keighley-based Snugpak. It took about half an hour to unroll the fully functional 80kg sleeping bag across a third of the historic pitch – where it stretched to an incredible 20 metres long.
Bulls legend and Bulls Foundation trustee Hunter-Paul said: “It was fantastic to have such an incredible piece of kit on show at the Provident Stadium.
“The appearance of the world’s biggest sleeping bag acted as an official launchpad for next week’s Bradford Sleep Out, which we are very much looking forward to hosting.
“I am hoping to see as many Bulls supporters as possible joining us next Thursday for what promises to be a great event, designed to raise vital funds for the fantastic work being done by both Centrepoint and the Bradford Bulls Foundation.”
Visit www.sleep-out.org.uk to sign up. Registration is £25 and participants are encouraged to raise £250.
Faye Wilson, Centrepoint Regional Fundraising Manager, added: “The sleeping bag is huge, but it’s sobering to think that barely a fraction of the 80,000 young people who find themselves homeless each year would fit in it.
“Sleep Out can never replicate the fear and uncertainty 20,000 homeless young people will face this Christmas. But hopefully the event will draw attention to the dangers they face. We know homeless young people are twice as likely to die as their peers, which is why we urgently need help to get them off the streets.
“The money raised during Sleep Out will help us to support young people as they tackle the physical and mental health problems caused by homelessness and give them the skills and confidence to find work or return to education.”
