On 23 June, Tony Bleasdale will pack up his sleeping bag, pull on a beanie and head to Eveleigh for the 2016 Vinnies CEO Sleepout. While his fellow rough sleepers will be grateful for dry weather, Tony will be packing his rain sounds app to help him work through his fear of the dark.

Tony joined BigHand Asia Pacific in 2014. After two hectic years building the business, he and his team sat down to think big about their local community and asked themselves, what more could they do? Tony’s immediate thought was the CEO Sleepout - a way to raise awareness about the extent of homelessness, its causes and the great work of Vinnies in supporting homeless people. For Tony, one of the important features of the event is that it is not about personal achievement, it’s about developing empathy, ‘I’m not running a marathon or cycling 500 miles. The uncomfortable thing is I have absolutely no idea what homeless people are going through on a daily basis.’ 

Imagine the first night, you can’t find anywhere to sleep, you’ve overstayed your welcome, slept on too many couches, you can’t ask for more help from anybody else. And that first night of sleeping in a place where you’re open to anything…For me, [at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout] it’s the fear of being in a situation that’s obviously orchestrated…but it’s fundamentally out of your control. I can’t turn the temperature up, I can’t go and find another duvet or more clothes. 

For the first couple of years working in Australia, Tony has picked up a copy of the Big Issue every pay day, valuing the relationships he has formed with sellers as well as the initiative’s direct and positive response to homelessness. But Tony comments, ’There is a lot of homelessness in the CBD and we probably just ignore it to a certain degree. People can become invisible and that’s why it’s important to do the Sleepout and raise awareness.’ 

More than 105,000 people are homeless every night in Australia and children make up 17% of this number. Homelessness can happen to people from all walks of life for many reasons, including domestic violence, housing in-affordability and lack of supportive social resources. Tony is looking forward to hearing directly from people affected by homelessness at the Sleepout and about the best ways to respond and take action. 

Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul Society) offers homelessness services across Australia. Donations from the  2015 Sydney Sleepout funded direct services including beds and meals for homeless men, women and families escaping domestic violence; early intervention and prevention programs with a focus on education, skills and recovery; a homework support for homeless kids and a primary health care clinic. 

With the number of homeless people on the rise, fundraising in 2016 will be more important than ever. Tony aims to reach his fundraising target with the help of friends and colleagues, some of whom have shared personal stories with him about how their lives have been affected by homelessness. 

Tony hopes the 2016 Vinnies CEO Sleepout will generate energy for BigHand to connect with local, regional and globally communities and inspire others in the firm to look for opportunities to have social impact and pay it forward. And conquering his fear of the dark will be a small but welcome bonus. 

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au