6 Reasons why the Belvedere Sleep-Out is at the Forefront of Charity Fundraising

Before diving straight in, I see it is perhaps necessary to somewhat bash my own title for it's phrasing. I'm sure many of you may read it and think that charity work is not meant to be a competition. Well? Yes and no. Works of charity are indeed independent of one another and good deeds should be treated equally with admiration. But when they are completed with such precision and sheer focused determination, I feel some sort of extra recognition is needed, which is the case for the Annual Belvedere Sleep-Out. With the amount of funds raised and the awareness created it's a truly awesome event, which contrasts with Ireland's recent current affairs headlines, sullen and depressing. It's wonderful to see young people doing something so good for others.

The Annual Belvedere College Sleep-Out and Fast has been at the centre of Christmas in Dublin since 1983. It takes place from the 22nd to the 24th December each year. 100 Current pupils are joined by staff and alumni alike to collect and sleep on Dublin's streets, primarily under the colonnades of the GPO and Bank of Ireland College Green. Volunteers shake buckets, chat to curious onlookers and collect much needed funds for homeless charities. This years charities were :

• The Peter McVerry Trust
• HomeAgain
• Focus Ireland

What I believe sets this event apart is the unique military precision and concentrated will in which it is executed. I don't think the facts are all appreciated until they are all laid bare. I've been lucky enough to have been involved for the past few years including during my time as a student at Belvedere College and so hence I have a fair idea how the cogs turn in motion. Here's what I see as the unique selling points of this and previous years' Sleep-Outs

1. The Revenue

€225,000 - 2016

Nearly a quarter of a million euro was raised this year. Superb figure especially in the context that this would have amounted to around 10% of the total fundraising that was done by the Peter McVerry Trust in 2014. Not bad considering all of the fundraising takes place in a period of just 60 hours, with 24 hours spent fasting.

The primary goal of the event is to provide awareness for the issue of homelessness in Ireland. It would be an omission, however, to overlook the sheer volume of revenue generated from the goodwill of others. Over the past 5 years the Sleep-Out has raised close to 1 million euro for homeless charities, a truly monstrous sum and one that is hard fought year in year out. This money will go toward supporting homeless shelters, rehousing projects and other vital areas helping the hugely disadvantaged in our city centre. We all know that money isn't everything and so it's also important to note that the boys encourage people to stop and chat with them about the project, and the real issues at hand.

2. Tackling A Real & Growing Issue

Prevalence of Homelessness in the past two years in Dublin (www.homelessnessdublin.ie)

With the end of the recession, logic would suggest that the less fortunate would fair better. Not only is this not the case, the amount of homeless individuals in Dublin has scarily been on the rise in recent years. As of Winter 2016, there have been more adults placed in emergency accommodation than any period previously recorded (4006 people and 1/3 of these are under 16 years old). There has been a 40% increase of families becoming homeless in the past year also, which shows just how huge an issue this is becoming. The lack of proactive decisiveness of the government to implement proposals outlined in 2014 has meant that there has been a massive retention of the current homeless population who can't escape the system they are in.

Fr. Peter McVerry who runs a charity under his name is very outspoken on this issue. He has indicated that we are "currently at a crisis situation", which can be seen by simply glancing at the above chart which shows the steady rise over the past three years, nearly doubling in this period. He reckons there are more people displaced today than "at any time during the famine". It is seriously worrying when you consider we are the 14th wealthiest country in the world.

“Something has seriously, seriously gone wrong. The whole economy is focused on money, money, money and greed, greed, greed and creating wealth. People have been left out and forgotten.” Fr. Mc Verry

Combine this with the timing of the Apollo House occupation of a derelict government owned building, which has been supported by various celebrities. Homelessness has regained a position at the forefront of Irish minds once again. The students this year who have raised much needed funds really do impact the lives of those who they are collecting for, and are link in with the broader issue that people are beginning to wake up to and notice. The lads are doing their part in contributing to help keep Dublin's less fortunate dry this winter and assist them to get the help they need to stay off the streets.

This awareness is what really counts towards helping prevent homelessness. As mentioned pedestrians are encouraged to stop and chat with the students, and hopefully gain some insight into the sheer magnitude of the situation at hand and pass on the message to others in their lives. By actually tackling an issue that has been prominent in the city, the Sleep-Out has been crucial in starting a conversation that is necessary to be had, in order to change the landscape and question social norms. Looking at the facts of present statistics, on average 20 people are being evicted from their houses daily due to the spike in rent prices, and with the problem growing, real intervention is urgently needed.

3. Direct & Extensive PR

PR is what really defines this event, and is what truly gathers momentum. This years PR team lead by Sam Osborne knew exactly what they were after when they gathered together and planned their approach. Previous operations have included running the "SleepOutSelfie" campaign where Celebrities were encouraged to take a selfie with the hashtag in order to generate awareness of the event. Hugely successful this has undoubtedly been the switch from typical PR (Radio, TV) to newer style social media. There is no doubt that having a few role models involved always gains interest and the selfie campaign has brought in Brendan Gleeson, Olly Murs and Ryan Tubridy to name but a few. Some celebrities including RTE's Joe Duffy, Rugby Pro's Ollie Campbell and Tony Ward, and Boyzone's Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy have been heavily involved with actually coming down and collecting on the streets.

"This year for the first time we managed to get a radio ad recorded in Spin1038 which was then played all across TodayFM, FM104, Q102 and Newstalk" - Sam Osborne PR Manager

This new initiative of a regular ad definitely affected online sales (www.sleepoutdublin.ie) and they also formed a new snapchat account aiming at younger donors. This now has over 1000 followers and combining this with regular posts on Facebook and Twitter ensured they remain "Top of everyone's Feeds" throughout the few days. On Twitter they trended for the entire first day of collecting and their hashtag really gained momentum. This year was about flooding the market so that at every turn online or in the media people heard about what was going on. The difference that is made from simply letting people know about your cause is remarkable.

#SleepOut16 2,787,862 Impressions online, mostly from Twitter

4. Christmas

It goes without saying that Christmas creates an aura of giving. The old saying goes that "in giving we receive." By staging the Sleep-Out at the end of the year right before families gather together taps directly into the Christmas spirit, which is a major yet obvious reason why they do so well. Team this with the fact that retail turnover increases dramatically as people venture to acquire last minute gifts for loved ones, which leads to an overall rise of footfall creating an environment for a charity event to flourish.

Each year as the temperature plummets, passers-by see the cold hands grasping the buckets and donate. There's no question that the cold weather plays on the heart strings of the public, and increases the amount raised, especially in the snow or rain (depending on the year). One year I even watched as a homeless man gave some money out of admiration for other's fighting on his behalf, knowing that in the long run the charities he's donating to are working to put a roof over his head. This year there was even a visit from the big man himself...

5. Disciplined Organisation

The extensive set up of the Belvedere Sleep-Out is what potentially is the hidden X Factor behind it all. You don't really concern yourself thinking of how something is put together, but the meticulous attention to detail by the students involved setting the bar supremely high. Prior to the event an enormous amount background work is done which includes sourcing buckets, jackets, organising interviews, sorting street permits, creating a collecting rota and allocating various jobs to each of the 100 volunteers.

One of the 3 Street Co-Ordinator students this year Mikey Walsh, who was working alongside Dan O'Reilly and Ruaidhri O Murchadha was able to tell me exactly how they approached this year's collecting.

"With three leaders this year on the ground orchestrating the collecting, it made the task of organising the group much easier"

They positioned the lads in various "hot spots", and ensured that at all times throughout the day there were students positioned all over town, as well as establishing a system to ensure all the money was counted and regular updates were provided.

This task would have been mammoth, had it not been for the individual motivation that each of the collectors had set themselves. As a group they aimed to surpass last years record, and each dedicated themselves to try and make this a reality. This goal Mikey believes is what spurred the lads on, from their wake up call at 6:45am each morning to when they finally got some rest late into the night. "Sleeping is of course allowed but difficult" when you're on the streets of Dublin, and so students tend to often wander into the night collecting outside Coppers for a few extra euro.

6. Youthful Selflessness and Empathy

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

This phrase couldn't be more relatable to the Belvedere Sleep-Out. A committed group of young students actually out there and doing something. Nothing to be laughed at, 2 days and nights spent out on Dublin's streets. The first day is spent fasting, and the cold hungry feeling puts you in the perspective of somebody down on their luck with nowhere to turn. Of course there are always those naysayers who will criticize, and each year come shouts of "You're not really homeless" or even"The Homeless don't have iPhone's", but these people are missing the point entirely.

This isn't about actually stripping off all your possessions and sleeping rough for weeks on end. It's about starting a debate and showing unity with one of the least supported parts of Irish society. It's about showing that a group of young people care and are not just sitting at home like the vast majority of people at christmas staring at full fridges and counting down the minutes until they can open their presents, ignoring a chronic problem in Irish society.

In today's world all too often all we hear are negative stories. The murders, the terrorist attacks, the lack of hospital beds, or even the cutting of funding for various sectors in this country. Too many times this year has the future of Trump's America been discussed in my sitting room with fear and loathing. What should authentically be cherished is the goodwill of others especially the young. They are an example of what shape the future will take, and positivity now should live on. People admire these positive changes in the world, yet as a country we need to emphasize this admiration to focus on these stories more and ignore the gloomy tales thrown at us by the media in an effort to boost sales.

One of truest forms of the compassion that is shown by the young volunteers during the Sleep-Out is down with the alumni at the Bank of Ireland at College Green. Extra mats are placed to allow homeless visitors to lay down beside the lads who may need a place to rest for the night. They can then stretch out in the safety of the group and enjoy tea and sandwiches as well as being encouraged to share some chat with those around them. From a personal experience I know this is the most rewarding yet humbling part of it all. It's nice to spend time with those of whom you are collecting for. To be able to find out about how they got into their situation, their life stories and hear about how exactly they are disregarded and stigmatized by so many in this country as simply being down and outs and nothing more. I've learned that what the homeless appreciate more than anything is simply the respect they receive, and it's a solid reminder that they are people just like you and me, a fact which many forget. Their situation is far from easy.

Sleeping rough is by far one of the toughest things I've done. Even with the comforts of warm clothes and a sleeping bag, catching some rest is a struggle. The cold creeps into your bones from the bitter concrete on which you lie. Though you are sheltered somewhat from the covered concourse under which you are positioned, the December wind still finds its way into your sleeping bag. Constant foot traffic, even in the dead of night from people making their way home from nights out, makes it impossible to catch some sleep. The whole experience sobers your thoughts and makes you realise that this, for some people, is life. I'm lucky that each year I can head back to my bed, but so many aren't that fortunate.

I know that homelessness is not the only problem facing our society today, but perhaps there are some lessons to be learned here that can be drawn upon. By having a group of dedicated people give up some of their time, plan out their strategy and truly give everything they have for a worthy cause, attention is generated. Through this a conversation can spark and can push others to follow suit to a place where real change can occur. As we set into a new year, I'm reminded that even in the smallest of gestures a difference can be made. Perhaps one of our small gestures for 2017 can be to ensure we each play our part in keeping this conversation going.