14 Oct 2026
On Friday November 13, hundreds of people will arrive at Oaklands College armed with sleeping bags, warm clothes and plenty of cardboard.
By the following morning, hopefully they’ll be tired, a little cold but also proud to have been part of something rather special.
But long before the first cardboard den is built, a team of people will have been working behind the scenes to make the St Albans Sleepout happen.
And for Herts Young Homeless, one of the five local charities benefiting from the event, that teamwork goes far beyond organising one night in November.
Every day, teams across the charity are working with young people and families throughout Hertfordshire to prevent homelessness before it reaches crisis point.
Putting on an event the size of the St Albans Sleepout involves months of preparation.
The Herts Young Homeless fundraising and events team works alongside colleagues across the charity, as well as volunteers, local businesses, schools, community groups, sponsors and supporters. Events officer Peter Barker is part of the team coordinating this year’s event.
He said: “There are so many people involved in making the Sleepout happen. Behind the scenes we have colleagues working on fundraising, marketing, volunteers and logistics, while local organisations are helping us with everything from cardboard and equipment to entertainment and spreading the word.
“That community effort is one of the things that makes the Sleepout so special. It really does feel like St Albans coming together.”
This year the ambition is to bring together more than 200 sleepers and raise £50,000 for the five participating charities – Herts Young Homeless, Emmaus Hertfordshire, Open Door, The Living Room and Centre 33.
But while there will be entertainment, activities and plenty of camaraderie on the night, the reason everyone is coming together is a serious one.
“We’re not suggesting that sleeping outside for one night recreates the reality of homelessness,” Peter explained. “We know that in the morning we can pack everything away and go home.
“The Sleepout is about bringing people together, raising awareness and generating funds that enable organisations like Herts Young Homeless to help people who don’t have that same certainty.”
During 2025/26, Herts Young Homeless supported 14,972 young people across its services. This included 1,186 young people receiving one-to-one support, alongside 13,786 reached through education programmes.
Those figures represent a huge variety of individual circumstances.
Some 84 per cent of young people referred to Herts Young Homeless were referred because of family breakdown, while 65 per cent reported diagnosed or undiagnosed mental-health issues.
For chief executive Jonny Whitehead, prevention is at the heart of the charity’s approach.
“Homelessness doesn’t necessarily start with somebody sleeping on the streets. For a young person, it might begin with difficulties at home, sofa surfing between friends or relatives, problems with their mental health or simply feeling they have nowhere safe to turn.
“Our teams work with young people and their families as early as possible. If we can help resolve problems before they escalate, we have a much better chance of preventing homelessness in the first place.”
The results demonstrate what that early intervention can achieve.
Among under-16s receiving Herts Young Homeless mediation support last year, 95 per cent returned or remained at home and 84 per cent improved their family relationship.
Through Outreach and Intensive Outreach, 87 per cent of evictions from permanent social housing were avoided.
Behind every one of those numbers is the work of people across Herts Young Homeless – from mediation, outreach and counselling teams to education, advice, youth engagement, fundraising and support staff.
Jonny added: “Events like the Sleepout give people a way to become part of that wider team. Every person who takes part, raises money, volunteers or supports the event helps us continue providing practical support to young people across Hertfordshire.”
Could you join the team for one night?
That sense of collective effort is ultimately what the St Albans Sleepout is all about.
As Peter puts it: “Nobody makes an event like this happen on their own. It takes a charity team, volunteers, businesses, supporters and, most importantly, people willing to sign up and
get involved.
“So our question to St Albans is a really simple one: could you join us for one night? Come with your family, friends, colleagues, school or community group, build a cardboard den and help us make a difference together.”
The St Albans Sleepout takes place at Oaklands College on Friday November 13. Registration is free, with participants asked to commit to raising a minimum of £100 each.
Find out more and sign up at www.stalbanssleepout.org.uk
- Source note: Impact statistics taken from Herts Young Homeless Impact Highlights 2025/26.
