MORE than £2,500 has been raised so far to help combat homelessness in Harrogate after the success of the town's first-ever Big Harrogate Sleepout.

Hosted at Harrogate Rugby Club, the event saw 30 people from local businesses and the community endure a night under the stars to raise awareness and vital funds for the Harrogate Homeless Project.

Local businesses, including Harrogate Spring Water, Belzona, Raworths and Titan Wealth Management participated in the inaugural sleepout. The participants, ranged from managing directors to employees.

Richard Cooper, CEO of Harrogate Homeless Project, praised the collective effort: “We are deeply moved by the community’s response to our first Big Harrogate Sleepout.

“The money raised will directly support our initiatives, from emergency accommodations to hostel services. It's inspiring to see the unity among businesses and residents in addressing this issue.”

Harrogate Spring Water, who spearheaded the initiative, have been working with the Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate Rugby Club on this event since the beginning of the year. 

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Operations director Ian Swann, said: “This event stands as a powerful reminder that we had a choice to sleepout but there are many people across our town who don’t have that choice. Seeing the community come together to make a lasting impact to local people facing homelessness has been fantastic.”

Another Big Sleepout is planned for Thursday October 2 2025 and people can still contribute to this year’s appeal at: https://www.harrogate-homeless-project.org.uk.