The 2023 Vinnies CEO Sleepout will return to the place where it all began in Canberra, The National Museum of Australia.

The NMA hosted the first ACT Sleepout in 2010 and will once again see Canberra’s CEOs and community leaders put themselves in the shoes of the homeless for one night, Thursday 22 June, coinciding with the winter solstice.

Nearly 1,800 people in Canberra are unhoused. Almost 20 per cent of these are women and another 20 per cent are young people under the age of 25.

At the Sleepout launch last week, CEO of Vinnies Canberra/Goulburn, Lucy Hohnen announced that they aim to raise $800,000 this year, which is just under the amount raised in 2022.

“Already in 2023, half a million dollars has been distributed in food here and beyond,” said Ms Hohnen. “Six and a half thousand people helped distribute more than $400,000 in emergency food relief.”

One member of the Vinnies Deep Sleeper Club (individuals who raise $20,000 or higher) confirmed that the money raised is due to the continued generosity of Canberrans in spite of the rising cost of living.

Neville Tomkins, Chief Commissioner of Scouts NSW, was the Canberra event’s top individual fundraiser of 2022.

He raised more than Nick Georgalis, managing director of Geocon ($28,800), and Mirko Milic, dealer principal for Canberra Toyota ($42,130) who took out third and second place, respectively.

Mr Tomkins raised $47,800, much of which he collected through doorknocking.

“Right now, many families are having to draw on the support of charities for the first time,” he explained, based on his grassroots experience. “Many of these people are currently employed.

“Our neighbours, who through no fault of their own, now need our support, and our recognition, but more importantly, they need a safe and secure place to sleep every night.”

Each year, Mr Tomkins starts doorknocking when the first frost covers Canberra.

“Our local households are doing it tough. Where someone might previously have given $50, that now tends to be about $20, so they, too, are experiencing it.

“Still, they also recognise that there are 1,800 people here in Canberra who are finding it even more difficult.”

Alongside Neville, Christine Shaw, of Christine Shaw Properties, is a 2023 ambassador for the Sleepout.

In both of the previous years she participated, Ms Shaw has been the top individual female fundraiser – a title she is ready and waiting for other women to take from her.

“I would love to put the challenge out there. You don’t need to be a CEO to be part of the CEO Sleepout.

“Sometimes females look at their business cards and they decide ‘I’m not a CEO. This isn’t for me.’ Not true.

“You just need to be someone who can mobilise their networks or is prepared to give it a go.”

No one has been keener to give the Sleepout a go than Decade Contributor, Ted Kell.

Mr Kell has raised over $40,900 after 10 years of sleeping out. At nearly 80 years old, he achieved a personal best of $11,000 at last year’s sleepout, which he insists will be his last.

He says stubbornness is his only secret.

“I find it hard to recommend anything other than to just do your best. Concrete is very hard. That’s why I stopped.”

A man of few words, Mr Kell became animated when speaking of the reason he started his crusade 10 years ago – his wife, Clare.

“She’s worked for Vinnies for well over 30 years. That was an inspiration for me.

“I just wanted to do what I could. Because I’ve always worked on my own, I found it very hard to associate myself with this. I just pushed myself, called on my family and friends.”

“I started working at Vinnies in 1990,” Clare told CW. “At the Belconnen centre.” She’s a volunteer there to this day.

Clare clearly remembers the first Sleepout Ted signed up for. “It was in the city, in front of the Canberra Theatre.”

“And it was minus seven degrees,” added Ted.

Unlike this year’s location, the Garden of Australian Dreams, there was hardly any shelter to be found in front of the theatre. Still, Ted came back year after year.

He says he’s “for sure” seen the impact of his fundraising for Vinnies. So much so, that he might be there at the beginning of the night this year. “Just to show moral support,” he assures.

“I was talked into it… Well, they didn’t have to do much talking,” Ted chuckles.

“It’s not that hard to be there. And it’s not that hard to ask people for money. But it is hard to sleep rough.

“It sort of makes you realise what homeless people have to put up with, and they don’t have the privilege of being back home the next night.”

To learn more about the campaign, visit ceosleepout.org.au

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