Hundreds of pounds have been raised by pupils at Highfield Leadership Academy in a sleepover at the school, in support of a youth work charity.
Taking part in the school’s annual ‘Bill’s Big Sleep In’, pupils have raised £400 for Blackpool’s ‘Streetlife’, to coincide with the charity’s ‘Big Sleep Out’, which promotes the challenges homeless people face in the community.
The Blackpool-based charity’s Big Sleep Out sees 150 people spend a night outside its emergency night shelter in the town centre, to raise funds for the shelter’s operating costs to ensure it provides accommodation all year round. 
At the school’s fundraising event, pupils were sponsored to sleep in the school building overnight, armed with their sleeping bags, blankets and cushions.
Before settling down for the night, the young participants took part in team building exercises and made cake pops from their Kindness Kitchen, which were later sold to pupils and staff in school to raise more money for Streetlife.
As darkness began to fall, pupils also enjoyed physical activities such as gymnastics and basketball in the sports hall, whilst showing their creative side by creating street art with spray paint in the design and technology classrooms.
The group also took time to reflect upon the work of the charity and the challenges facing young people by watching an educational film featuring broadcaster Emma Willis, who spoke with Kaitlyn, a young person supported by Streetlife.
The funds raised contributed towards a record total raised by The Big Sleep Out, and pupil leaders will continue to raise awareness about the Streetlife’s work and encourage their peers to raise funds and donate items to support people accessing the services provided.
One of the pupil leaders who took part in the event, Tammy-Lea Cooper, said: “Streetlife is a really important charity, helping people not much older than me. When people think about the homeless, they might imagine them to be older people struggling with addiction issues.
“The sad reality is there are lots of young people, lots of hidden homeless teenagers, who are sofa surfing because they can’t afford accommodation or are struggling with things like family break ups. Even though we are young we can make a difference so that’s what I try to do.”