More than 100 people will brave the cold at Somerset House to raise money for Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity.
Tonight (6th February), Centrepoint’s annual Sleep Out will see hundreds sleep outdoors at Somerset House, standing in solidarity with the thousands of young people across the UK who don’t have a secure place to call their own.
Among those taking part are four members of the London Fire Brigade, who say they often encounter homelessness while on duty.
‘Most weeks, when we attend a scene, we will come across someone who is homeless,’ Jonathan Stroker, from Park Royal Red Watch, said.
‘It’s so sad because they will most likely not have a fixed address and be practically invisible, but we have duty of care to our citizens and owe just as much to them as to people who are lucky enough to have a place they call home.’
The event comes as new figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network show 4,841 people slept rough in London between October and December 2025, a 5% increase on the same period in 2024.
Miranda Harman, head of mass participation and events at Centrepoint, said: ‘Despite positive steps from central government and the Mayor of London, the number of young people facing homelessness in the capital remains heartbreakingly high.
‘With this in mind, it’s amazing to see so many people sleeping out for Centrepoint, raising vital awareness and funds which will allow us to continue to provide life-changing support for young people who don’t have a place to call home.
‘However, there is still more time to sign up, and I would encourage anyone who cares about this issue to join us and play their part in helping those impacted by homelessness.’
Last year, the charity’s initiative raised over £570,000. Throughout winter, different Sleep Out’s are hosted in cities across the country, with the next one due to take place on 27th February at Manchester’s Projekts Skatepark.
Details about how to take part – either in today’s event or the one later this month – can be found here.
In a press release, Centrepoint have stressed Sleep Out is ‘not about replicating homelessness, but about solidarity and collective action to ensure every young person has a safe place to call home.’
Images: Centrepoint
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