The Big Oundle Sleep Saturday 19th April will see over 200 Oundle School pupils and staff, heading from Oundle near Peterborough in Lincolnshire all the way to Birmingham, to experience a night under cardboard in a car park at St Basils, one of the largest agencies in the United Kingdom working with young people who may be at risk of homelessness or actually homeless.
Pupils will experience for one night the reality faced by thousands of people in this country, night in night out, when they sleep on the streets.
| Some images from St Basils Big Sleep Out November 2007 |
It is hoped that as well as raising awareness of the plight of homeless people, the Sleepout will raise in excess of £6000 for this very worthy charity. Various talks on the work of St Basils will be given throughout the evening by organisers and residents.
On their return to Oundle, as part of the school’s annual Field Weekend, pupils will hear more about the work of local organisations including The Haven Night Shelter and St Theresa’s in Peterborough and Homechoice in Northamptonshire in a series of talks to be given on Monday morning.
Head of Community Action at Oundle School commented “We hope that our pupils will gain a deep understanding of homeless issues as a result of this exercise and that they will be inspired by the work of St Basil’s, which relies heavily on fundraising to support its programme. £6000 is the amount typically needed to support six young people from the moment they contact St Basil’s to the moment they leave.”
St Basils is the largest regional organisation in the UK working with young people who are homeless or in danger of homelessness. Every year St Basils sees 4,500 16-25 year olds, accommodates around 1,000 and helps large numbers with advice, education and support.
Steve Rainbow, Fundraising Officer at St Basils, commented, “Oundle School’s connection with St Basils dates back to the opening of The Boot. The then Head of Community Service and English teacher at Oundle School, Jeremy Firth approached Les Milner offering the help of a group of pupils from Oundle School with the renovation of St Basils, a then derelict church in Deritend. This forged a link between St Basils and Oundle School which was formalised in 1995 when pupils first attended the annual St Basils Sleepout . Lower sixth form pupils and staff have participated in the Sleepouts each November ever since. This year however the school has decided to extend this opportunity to all pupils in the 5th and 6th form and in conjunction with organisers at St Basils “The Big Oundle Sleep” which will involve young people from St Basils and pupils from Oundle School spending the evening together.
St Basils is the national Registered Social Landlord 'RSL' Centre of Excellence in the prevention of youth homelessness and one of the largest agencies in the United Kingdom working with young people who may be at risk of homelessness or actually homeless.
Background Information on Oundle School
Oundle School is situated in the quintessentially English Market town from which it takes its name. The School's buildings, dating from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century, are dispersed throughout the town, which is, to a large extent, its campus.
The School's history goes back to 1556 when Sir William Laxton, Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and Lord Mayor of London, endowed and re-founded the original Oundle Grammar School, of which he was a former pupil. In 1876, the Grocers' Company decided to divide the School into two parts: Laxton Grammar School, mainly for the inhabitants of the town, and Oundle School, mainly for pupils from further afield. However, to mark the new millennium, the Governing Body decided to reunite the two schools under the common name of Oundle School, with Laxton as a House for day-pupils.
The School is now able to offer a range of educational possibilities to meet contemporary needs: co-educational day or boarding education, with Laxton Junior as a 5-11 day school, and Oundle School as a boarding and day school, with entry at 11, 13 or into the Sixth Form.
Press contact:
Liz Dillarstone
Publicity and Press Relations Officer
Oundle School
01832 277267
07810 788458
ed@oundleschool.org.uk
