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On Friday, 7th March, YMCA Cheltenham welcomed over 40 school children to participate in their annual BIG Shelter Build. Now in its second year, this event aims to raise awareness about homelessness within the community. It’s a fantastic opportunity for children to get involved and ignite their creativity. Pupils were tasked with designing and constructing cardboard shelters for sleepers to use during the challenge.
Each team, comprising Year 5 and Year 6 children, received a sleeper’s profile and a shelter starter kit. They were also provided with three tokens to spend at various stalls around the sports centre. These tokens could be used to purchase additional padding, waterproof materials, roofing, flooring, and even interior decorations such as a coffee cup holder or a pretend telephone.
Extra tokens were awarded to groups showing good teamwork!
The children crafted highly imaginative shelters in various shapes and sizes. Each shelter told its own story—some featured cardboard microwaves, miniature flower gardens, or even family portraits to offer comfort during the chilly night. The creativity on display caught the attention of Cheltenham’s Mayor, who joined us to admire the inventive shelters and speak warmly about the dedication and kindness shown by the young builders. The event also garnered wider attention, thanks to live coverage by BBC Radio Gloucestershire, which helped spread the important message of Sleep Easy to thousands more listen live HERE!
A big thank you to Rowanfield Junior School, Christ Church Primary, Linden Primary School, and our home schoolers for participating!
YMCA Cheltenham Sleep Easy Soup Kitchen
Bringing warmth—quite literally—to the evening was the YMCA Cheltenham Sleep Easy Soup Kitchen, generously supported by Tesco. For those unable to sleep out overnight, it offered a chance to participate in SLEEP EASY 2025 and contribute towards our fundraising goal. For £10, participants enjoyed a warm cup of soup, a bread roll, and the opportunity to forge new friendships and connections during our community meal. The Soup Kitchen provided not only nourishment but also symbolised our community’s compassion, unity, and support.
Our incredible sleepers exchanged their warm beds for cardboard shelters, raising over £6,000 to directly support local people without a safe place to call home.
This impactful night would not have been possible without the generosity of our community, participants, and sponsors:
- Theory, Uplift Chiropractic, and Evolve Integrated Systems for sponsoring Sleep Easy 2025
- BuildIt for sponsoring the BIG Shelter Build
- Tesco for providing delicious food for our Sleep Easy Soup Kitchen
- The Big Yellow Self Storage Company for supplying cardboard boxes for shelters
Inspired by this year’s event? Join us next year and help us continue changing lives, one night at a time. Register your interest here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ymca-cheltenham/registration-for-ymca-cheltenham-sleep-easy-2026/2026-03-06/18:00/t-rpvnenn
Together, we’re creating a community where everyone has the warmth, safety, and support they deserve.
#SleepEasy2025 #BigShelterBuild #CommunitySpirit #ChangingLives #YMCA
