Braving the Cold: Students Support Porchlight with Overnight Sleep-Out

Date: Friday 10th October 2025

Where: The Royal Harbour Academy

Raising Awareness and Funds for People Facing Homelessness and Mental Health Struggles

Students from different year groups spent a night sleeping outside to raise awareness and funds for Porchlight, a Kent-based charity that supports people who are homeless or facing serious challenges such as poverty, poor mental health, and housing insecurity.

This is the second year that students have supported Porchlight through the annual sleep-out event, continuing a growing tradition of standing in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness.

The event was designed to give students a small insight into the reality of sleeping rough – something that thousands of people experience across the UK every night. As the evening began, students set to work with sheets of cardboard, using them in creative and practical ways to shelter from the cold. Some used cardboard to lie on and protect themselves from the hard ground, while others attached it to fences to help shield themselves from the wind. A few even built makeshift “tents” out of cardboard, trying their best to stay warm as the temperature dropped. It was a great night full of teamwork, with students encouraging each other and working together to face the challenges.

Despite the cold, spirits remained high. Students played games, shared stories, and reflected on the purpose of the night. The sleep-out ended with a warm and well-earned McDonald’s breakfast, bringing everyone together for a final moment of community before heading home. Thank you to McDonald's for kindly donating the breakfast and cardboard the students used. 

Porchlight is one of Kent’s leading homelessness charities, offering safety, stability, and respect to people in crisis. In the past year alone, Porchlight supported 5,794 people. This included 944 people who were homeless, and more than 4,800 who received support with their mental health. The charity works with people facing a wide range of complex issues and provides a tailored safety net so that everyone can find the support that’s right for them. At the heart of Porchlight’s work is care, compassion and understanding — empowering people to live the lives they want.

This year, the students and school community raised an incredible £1,334, with an additional £303.50 in Gift Aid donations. This total is even higher than last year’s, showing growing support and enthusiasm for the cause. All money raised will go directly to Porchlight to support their life-changing work across Kent.

Assistant Headteacher, Mr Wall, commented -

“We ask our students to be ready, honourable and aspirational and our young people have shown this evening that they are honourable, supporting and raising money for the vulnerable people in our community. Although our students may never meet the people they have supported, they know that by making the sacrifice of one night outside, they have raised money to support others. We are forever proud of our students!” 

A massive thank you goes to everyone who donated and supported the event. Your generosity will help Porchlight continue to offer vital services to those who need them most.

If you’d like to support the students’ efforts or learn more about Porchlight, please visit https://www.porchlight.org.uk. Every donation helps Porchlight continue their mission of supporting vulnerable people and creating lasting change.