7 Fifty Two does Byte Night!
Jaspreet Bahra – Tactical Consultant
Sleeping outdoors under the London stars doesn’t fit in with my usual Friday night… but on October 7th, 12 members of 7 Fifty Two did just that as part of Byte Night – the IT industry’s annual sleep out in support of Action for Children.
Byte Night involves teams and individuals within the IT sector spending a night exposed to the elements to help raise awareness for homeless children. The event has been running for a total of 14 years and takes place in 4 locations; London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Reading.
The evening in London kicked off with a pre-event welcome of dinner and drinks in the reception of Norton Rose. Entertainment including quizzes, raffles and a live auction ran throughout. Needless to say, the bar was fully utilised by all, and almost certainly aided in the generous donations made for items ranging from luxury holiday and theatre tickets, to Southend FC merchandise.
After moving outside where sleepers set up their pitch for the night, hot food was raffled off at midnight by Domino’s and 7 Fifty Two handed out hipflasks of brandy and whisky to help keep everyone warm. The location provided spectacular sights of the brightly lit Tower Bridge and River Thames, making it a beautiful setting for a not-so glamorous occasion.
Though it was a thoroughly entertaining night, it really did help hit the important message home that sleeping outdoors is incredibly tough – an experience I couldn’t possibly imagine having to do daily as a child, particularly in the harsh October weather. It is estimated that 75,000 young people experience homelessness each year, and Action for Children work to tackle these issues, as well as child abuse and neglect.
Overall, Byte Night 2011 proved to be very successful with this year’s event attracting over 700 sleepers and raising a record-breaking £680,000. 7 Fifty Two would like to thank everyone who sponsored us for this worthy cause. So far as a team we raised a total of £2,781 for Action for Children, and look forward to taking part again next year!
Although the event is now over for this year, you can still show your support by sponsoring us here;