More than 100 people from businesses across the South West took part in Byte Night, the UK’s largest sleep-out, on Bristol’s Millennium Square on Friday, October 2 after an evening of fundraising at the @Bristol science museum to raise money for youth services run by Action for Children.

Companies including Harvey Nash, Proctor & Stevenson, Aerian, Bloodhound, Boeing, BT, Business West, Farmcover, FedEx, Lloyds, National Composites Centre, Oxford Innovation Services Ltd, Technical Touch, Weston Area NHS Health Trust, Rolls Royce, Civica, Amplify, KPMG and EY, BrightPearl, Keystone Law, Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership and People Source Consulting bedded down for the night to help ensure vulnerable young people across the South West have a safe and loving place to call home.

Simultaneous events took place in London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Reading, Manchester and Birmingham, with over 1,400people sleeping out across the UK. Action for Children hopes Byte Night will raise over £1.3million to support its work with vulnerable children, young people and families.

Jennifer O’Connell, director at EY and co-chair of the Byte Night South West committee, said: “Byte Night South West is now in its second year and sleeping on Millennium Square made it a night to remember with a strong sense of camaraderie.

“Although it was a hard and cold night, the difference is we return to warm homes, full fridges and cosy beds in the morning. For many young people living in the UK this simply isn't the case and trying to sleep in the cold is a sharp reminder how hard it can be for them.”

Huw Brown, fellow chair and director at KPMG added, “We’ve were lucky enough to meet some of the young people that Action for Children supports and hear their inspiring stories first-hand. They often run away from abusive homes but they don’t want to be on their own. Every year, I feel proud as more and more money is raised to provide more support, which can really help put their lives back on track. One night really does make a lifetime’s difference.”

Byte Night 2014 raised over £1.1 million, with more 1,300 people sleeping out on the same night across the UK.

If you would like to donate to Byte Night and support Action for Children’s youth homelessness services, please text BYTE15 £5 (or the amount you wish to donate) to 70070 to donate £5 to the leading UK charity.