"We have been overwhelmed by the response of the mortgage industry in tackling this cause and we want to harness that support and create a network across the UK "
Around 4,750 people were estimated to be sleeping rough on any given night in England in 2017, according to official figures.
Mortgage Sleep Out will raise vital funds to a national charity that works to eradicate homelessness, and the charity will be announced later this week.
Businesses and individuals are asked to register to host and organise their own local Sleep Out, which will create a network of locally organised #MortgageSleepOut events across the UK, contributing to one national effort on Friday 30 November 2018.
The idea of Mortgage Sleep Out started less than two weeks ago on 7 August, when Rob Jupp, CEO at Brightstar Financial, tweeted: “Shocking how many ‘rough sleepers’ there are in London. I can’t remember a time where there have been so many. It’s a national outrage!”
Responding to his tweet, Maria Harris, director of intermediary lending at Atom Bank, replied: “It’s heart breaking. Maybe we should do a financial services sleep out to raise funds and awareness?”
The idea soon gathered momentum, with the hashtag #MortgageSleepOut trending on Twitter and more than 40 firms confirming their interest within a few days.
Financial Reporter then designed and hosted the website at www.mortgagesleepout.com, where anyone interested in being part of the industry movement to eradicate homelessness can register.
Rob Jupp said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response of the mortgage industry in tackling this cause and we want to harness that support and create a network across the UK of #MortgageSleepOut events, organised locally by willing businesses and individuals all contributing to one national effort on Friday 30 November 2018.”
